


Sae vs Wonderland

by Zohar



Category: Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Addiction, Bisexual Female Characters, Child Abuse, Clothed Sex, Crimes & Criminals, Cunnilingus, Drugs, F/F, F/M, Female Pedophiles, Femdom, Inspired by Music, Internal Monologue, Lolicon, Masturbation, Morally Ambiguous Protagonist, Mystery, Mystery Character(s), Other, Pedophilia, Pegging, Porn as an Object, Prostitution, Psychological Drama, Psychology, Rape, Secret Relationships, Sex Toys, Sexual Tension, Shotacon, Strong Female Characters, Taboo, Unconscious Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2020-06-23 11:31:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 70,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19700497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zohar/pseuds/Zohar
Summary: Six months after the events of Persona 5, Sae is tasked with solving a new case by her former employers at the SIU.  A case dealing with a notorious pedophile ring. While analyzing the evidence and pursuing leads, her mind and body take her down a dark path. Her morals are challenged, her work ethic suffers and her sense of justice waivers while her professional life takes a backseat to let her libido do most of the driving.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> (Poster: https://imgur.com/QQS122e)

[09/15 Evening: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Beneath the Mask -instrumental version- ~]

Sae Niijima sat at her desk in her home office thinking about the career change she recently made. Formally serving as a public prosecutor, she played a major role in resolving one of the country's greatest scandals. With the help of the Phantom Thieves and their leader known as Joker, she ended the reign of the most nefarious politician in the modern age, Shido Masayoshi. After Shido had been dealt with, Sae resigned from her position and became the polar opposite, a defense attorney. She found herself terribly disillusioned by the amount of corruption in the judicial system and felt her sense of justice wavering as a result. Switching sides to play defense rather than offense, her faith was restored after successfully winning three solid cases in only a few short months.

However, Sae was already getting bored. Her new occupation lacked a certain kind of stimulus to it. Saving innocent people as a criminal defense attorney wasn't without its own challenges or merits, but there was something missing and she couldn't quite put her finger on what. All she knew was that it was something that only came from being part of the prosecution. She didn't dislike her new role, but there was a fundamental difference between the two that left Sae feeling unsatisfied. Despite the bad experiences she went through in the Phantom Thieves of Hearts case, where her old boss subjected her to immense pressure and frustration, Sae, for whatever reason, wanted more. It wasn't a masochistic desire or anything, she just wanted to fight evil and corruption from the inside, like before. There was more exposure to that at her former place of work, the prosecutor's office. Where she was now though, at home, in her private office, there was comfort but essentially no sense of adventure to be had. "If only there was some way to have both.."

[09/16 Morning: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Beneath the Mask -instrumental version- ~]

Sae got out of bed the next morning and went about her daily routine. Washing her beautiful face, brushing her teeth, showering and then combing her hair. She went to the kitchen for the coffee her sister usually made before she left for class. Makoto was taking the preliminary college courses necessary to give her an edge in a career as a police officer. "Morning Sis, I just made a fresh pot. Also, a package came in for you yesterday. Sorry I forgot to tell you about it, I so busy studying."

"It's okay, I don't remember ordering anything so it's probably nothing important." Sae sipped her coffee and glanced at the mysterious box sitting on the glass table between their two sofas.

"Alright, I'm heading out."

"Okay, have a nice day." She watched Makoto leave, once she was gone, Sae looked back at the small box and raised an eyebrow. "Now what in the world could you be?" She walked over to it and picked the box up, noticing how very light it was. She sat down on the sofa and examined it further. "No from address, how suspicious. Seems too light be be anything dangerous." She went ahead and opened it. Inside there was a letter and a flash drive. The letter read:

["Dear Sae Niijima, your feats have not gone unnoticed. As a prosecutor you were instrumental in putting an end to two of the most elusive threats our society has ever known, The Phantom Thieves and Shido Masayoshi's conspiracy."]

Pausing her reading for a moment, Sae thought about their grandiose accolades. ("That's right, even though the Phantom Thieves were the good guys and did most of the work, I got all the credit with the government and the police.") She shook her head and sighed, then continued reading.

["As a result, you've garnered the attention of Interpol and they want you to be an expert consultant on a top secret, high profile case. Should you chose to accept, more details are on the flash drive."]

Sae was taken aback. "Interpol?! This must be something serious if they're involved. I bet the higher ups probably painted a pretty picture of my exploits for their own reputation but why send a package through the mail instead of contacting me directly?" The letter ended there, leaving Sae overwhelmingly curious as she grabbed the flash drive and held it in her hands. "Whatever this top secret, high profile case is it's got to be something unorthodox. Like the 'elusive' threats they mentioned. The government couldn't stop the Phantom Thieves because of how they operated. But that didn't stop ME from stopping them in their eyes. No wonder they want my help. But if it's another case like the Phantom Thieves, do I really want to get involved with that kind of lunacy again?" She took a brief moment to think it over and then naturally smirked. "Of course I do."

[09/16 Daytime: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Interrogation Room ~]

Sae went straight for her bedroom, laptop in one hand, flash drive in the other. "Alright, I've done all my errands for the day and there's nothing else to do, so let's see what this is about. Better not be some kind of prank." She inserted the flash drive and immediately realized this was no prank when the new SIU Director appeared on the screen before she could click anything.

["Hello Niijima, if you're watching this then it must mean you've accepted our request for your assistance. Or you just let curiosity get the best of you. Either way, these files are for your eyes only. The higher ups were adamant about that because of its volatile nature. They're password protected and we've planted a trojan horse on your computer so we'll know if you've opened them or not. We apologize in advance but it's just a precaution in case someone else got their hands on this. You may be wondering why we didn't just contact you directly instead of risking that by sending it in a package. The honest answer is we were worried you wouldn't listen to us. The only way for you to understand the gravity of the situation is to see the evidence with your own eyes. Also, once you've seen it you're officially involved and there's no turning back. So now is your last chance to opt out. If you remove the flash drive after this video ends without opening the archives, everything will be automatically erased the next time you put it back in. Including the trojan horse, and you won't hear from us again. Now then, with all that said let me tell you what this case is about."]

Sae paused the video and held her head in her hands. "God, what am I about to get myself into?" She was shaking nervously, wondering if she should reconsider. The pressure was reminiscent of her time spent as a prosecutor. "This must be it. This must be what I've been missing lately." It was the apprehensive thrill one felt when gazing into an unknown abyss. In her previous line of work, that abyss came in the form of criminal minds during interrogations and evidence gathering. Her current job tasked her with protecting the innocent rather than pursuing the guilty. With a newfound sense of conviction, Sae continued watching the video.

["We have evidence that an elusive, notorious, international ring of pedophiles are operating in Japan. And I bet you're probably thinking, 'there goes that word 'elusive' again.' Well it's true, there's no better way to describe it. They're a menace to society with an M.O. that's a complete mystery. It's similar to what the Phantom Thieves' and Shido's methods were. I'm sure you know by now where this is going. Your experience with those radical cases are why you were chosen for this one. All we know about them is that they call themselves Wonderland. And that they've been around for a while. The only thing anyone's been able to do about them is arrest their subjects. The people they use and manipulate into doing unspeakable acts to children. How they get them to do it or why, nobody knows. It's been believed that they use bribery or extortion. However, due to all the recent events dealing with mental shutdowns, the changing of hearts and whatnot, they've expanded that theory to methods one might consider to be.. supernatural. That's why you're authorized to assemble your own task force for this case if you need it. You'll be on as an expert consultant but you'll have the authority to share the evidence with whoever you see fit. Also you'll have the same jurisdiction you did as a prosecutor while working from home. We're putting our trust in you for this one, Niijima. The password for the files is your former colleague's favorite food. That's all, stay vigilant."]

The video ended, leaving Sae with a confused and perturbed expression. "Pedophiles..? A whole ring of them?!" She sat for a moment thinking to herself. "Well, that's definitely not what I was expecting. So that means the files on here must be the evidence. And if they're videos that means they could only be one thing.." Sae never thought she would find herself looking at or much less having access to child porn. Not even as a prosecutor did she anticipate dealing with the work of pedophiles. She was no stranger to porn, occasionally looking up some on the internet whenever the mood struck. The extent of her fetish repertoire was relatively tame though by most standards. She got up and went over to lock the door of her room, just in case Makoto forgot to knock and walked in. Sitting back on her bed with the laptop in her lap, Sae took a deep breath and said, "Here goes nothing.." She clicked on the first file, typed in the password, 'pancakes' and witnessed a new frontier.

[09/16 Evening: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Disintegration ~]

"Fuck..! Fuck..! Fuck..!" Sae silently exclaimed to herself. She didn't want Makoto to hear her and come to see what was wrong. What she saw left her in a flurry of emotions. Shock, anger, disgust and what she hated most to admit, arousal. The latter is what she feared because it set a dangerous precedent. She faced the kind of abyss that gazed back into you. Shaking her head and giving it a few light smacks, she sat on the edge of her bed with the laptop closed behind her. "Calm down Sae, this isn't like you. You're a professional and that was only evidence. It's your job to analyze it no matter how it makes you feel ... But I can't go getting turned on by that kind of thing. That's not who I am." While she tried to rationalize her body's physical reaction with her mind's mental reaction, the ache in her loins swelled. She couldn't help but vividly remember very specific details in the evidence. She thought more about the parts that excited her than the anything that could have been a clue. The flash drive had four videos. All were in high definition, at least thirty minutes long and she binge watched all of them back to back. Over their total duration of two plus hours, her pussy got wetter and wetter. Every now and then she would subconsciously reach a hand down her pants to gently rub herself before realizing it and stopping.

("I am NOT going to masturbate to this!") Sae said over and over inside her head. She had a moral compass and refused to stoop so low. Her and her sister inherited their values from their late father, whom was the reason they both pursued careers in law enforcement. Sae's compass, however, had been stressed and damaged over time during her adult life. The Phantom Thieves' leader helped her repair it but in the heat of the moment, she felt her compass being in jeopardy of cracking again. Albeit in a different way. To test her own integrity, Sae decided to open back up her laptop and watch the videos again. This time she would sit at her old study desk in the corner of her room. It was one of the few things she kept around from her younger days. When she was in school, she studied hard at that desk. Then once she started working in the judicial system, she would analyze evidence at it. She hadn't used it lately though since becoming a defense attorney. For that job she had to work from an actual home office. One where she could meet with clients in. That was the reason she set up shop in their father's old room. Because she couldn't very well invite people to her house on business and take them to her bedroom, it would look highly unprofessional.

Their father's room wasn't fully converted though, Sae kept little reminders of him around to be her motivation, like pictures. The evidence she was dealing with now gave her a new kind of challenge though. One she was only comfortable with facing in the privacy of her own room. Not somewhere that reminded her of her father. "Alright you sick fucks, come at me. I won't be tempted into partaking in such depravity.." She whispered half to herself and half to the culprits in the videos. Just to prove to herself she could resist the urge to masturbate, Sae stripped down to her underwear. This time she was going to watch them while feeling naked.

[09/16 Late Night: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Erosion ~]

The first video consisted of a sleeping boy and his mother. Or a woman who was supposedly his mother. She molested him while both of their faces were censored the whole time. The room was dimly lit but everything else in the video was as clear as day. It started almost completely dark with only moonlight shining through a window. The camera aimed directly at the child from on side the bed as he slept soundly under a white blanket. There was nothing identifiable in the shot, only the bed, his form and the bare white wall behind it. A few seconds in, the sound of a door slowly creaking open could be heard and artificial light from what must have been a hallway provided more illumination. It casted a discernible shadow over him, the figure of the woman as she approached him, leaving the door open for the light. She wore nothing but a transparent nightgown. For a moment she only stood there between the camera and the boy, blocking the view with her ass. Probably staring at him and thinking about what she was going to do. She then got closer and moved the blanket out of the way, revealing his body. He slept in a t-shirt and briefs. Appeared to be elementary school aged and she wasted no time taking his briefs off, leaving the shirt on.

The hastiness in which she stripped him suggested the boy had been drugged. She didn't seem worried at all about him waking up. Her first assault was to perform oral sex on him, which she did quite aggressively to get him erect. While holding his dick in place with one hand, she reached up with the other to prod his nipples under his shirt. The simple act caused Sae to subconsciously pinch her own nipples through her bra. After a few seconds she realized what she was doing but didn't stop. "Whatever, this is nothing." As aroused she currently was, Sae felt no need to deny herself that much. She needed some kind of pleasure to abate her lust and playing with her breast seemed perfectly fine. "The best part hasn't even started yet." She took her eyes off the screen momentarily to look up at the ceiling and question herself. "Did I really just say that? The 'best' part? Geez." She knew this kind of tension would undoubtedly result in a minuscule lapse of her moral ethics and chose to ignore it.

Once the boy was hard enough the woman squatted over and mounted him. She started grinding slowly and gradually picked up the pace. At first her hands were on his chest, but then disturbingly moved toward his throat. She wrapped her hands around it but didn't squeeze. Sae could tell it was primarily a gesture the woman needed for reaching her own climax, which she was apparently getting close to. "Thank God the kid doesn't wake up, this would've been quite the traumatic experience for him." None of the children in the four videos were conscious. They all stayed asleep throughout their ordeals. That meant none of them would remember anything either, so they couldn't testify against their assailants if found. With all of their faces being censored and the victims having no recollections of what happened, it would make building a case much harder. That was the one thing every video had in common besides Wonderland's calling card. Their M.O. involved enabling pedos to rape children while sparing the young ones the emotional trauma. Their calling cards would be some kind of subliminal messages at the end of each video that served as a deliberate clue to their subjects' identities.

The first video was almost over now and it ended with the woman furiously riding the boy. She rocked her hips, shaking the bed as she slammed herself up and down on him. She had a fierce orgasm and once she came she laid on top of him panting for breath. After she caught it and settled down, she reached off screen to grab something. It was two objects, a gun, which on closer inspection proved to be fake, and a red hat. She pointed the gun at him and placed the hat on his head. Turning it to the side so the words etched on it faced the camera. In yellow, all caps it read the words, 'Get Smoked.' The video then faded to black and Wonderland's logo appeared at the end. "That's so messed up. No matter how these bastards operate by getting people to do their dirty work, I'll take them down for sure." Sae looked at the time and realized it was getting late, too late for her to stay up watching the other videos again. "Damnit.. I'm already soaking wet as it is and if I watch anymore I'll probably be up all night playing with more than just my tits." Sae closed her laptop and went to bed, despite how horny she was. She managed to fall asleep without giving in to temptation and had a fevered dream that night.

[09/17 Midnight: Niijima Residence]  
[~ The Poem of Everyone's Souls ~]

"Welcome, Sae Niijima." A soft, mysterious voice spoke from behind her. Sae quickly turned around to see who it was. An unfamiliar young girl dressed in blue and black stood facing her. She had long, sandy blond hair and big yellow eyes.

"Who are you? And where are we?" She asked while looking around. The place resembled her father's room as it once was before she made it a home office. Although it wasn't quite the same, everything was significantly larger, distorted in shape and covered in blue. It made Sae feel small, as if she were a child again.

"I am Lavenza and this is my master, Igor." She pointed to an old man with an eerily long nose sitting in what would have been her father's closet if this were actually his room. Something about a little girl calling an old man master disturbed Sae quite a bit. She was never very susceptible to innuendo before but her first thought when the girl said that was a sexual one thanks to her recent exposure to such things. "This is the Velvet Room, a place between dream and reality. We've summoned you here to.."

Sae closed her eyes and massaged her temples, tuning the girl out. "Right, of course this is a dream. My father's room doesn't have a bed in it anymore. Much less one the size of a bus." She referred to the enormous bed and mattress in the room big enough to require a ladder to get on.

"Don't disregard the situation!" Lavenza snapped in frustration of not being taken seriously. "Make no mistake, Sae, this is very real. What you see here is the manifestation of your own subconsciousness. The thoughts and feelings you have on your life right now, represented in a physical form. The greatness you saw in your father while trying to live up to his example. Therefore we find ourselves in this overwhelmingly huge room."

Igor nodded in agreement with her analogy and spoke for the first time. "But there may yet be more to it than that."

Sae glared at them both. She still didn't like being compared to her father or the implication that she was a daddy's girl. She was a strong, independent woman forging her own path. Still believing this was a mere dream, she decided not to argue with them and instead find out what was going on. "Alright, so what am I here for?"

Lavenza approached Sae and handed her a tablet that appeared out of thin air. "As a new guest of the Velvet Room, we'd like you to sign a contract."

Sae raised an eyebrow and interrupted Lavenza before she could finish talking. "A contract for what? You don't expect me to sign it before telling me what it's for do you?"

Lavenza's brow furrowed and she stomped her feet. "I'm about to tell you! Geez, adults are so stubborn compared to teenagers."

Igor laughed and waved a hand dismissively. "It's alright Lavenza, I'll tell her." Lavenza pouted and walked back towards Igor, giving Sae the stink eye over her shoulder. "You've been tasked with handling an entity known as Wonderland, correct?" His mentioning of the pedo ring Sae was dealing with shocked her.

"How do you know about that?! Are you with the government?"

Igor shook his head no. "We are not. Think of us as more like denizens of the dream world who offer guidance to the chosen ones in your world. We, too, have a vested interest in Wonderland. Ever since they started treading over our domain." He paused to let the last part sink in.

"Your domain? Does it have something to do with how they were all sleeping?" She deduced after connecting the dots.

"Precisely." He confirmed, denoting the fact that he also knew who she meant by 'they'.

"Great, so I -am- dealing with something supernatural.. again.." She acquiesced with sigh.

Igor shook his head to reassure her. "Not quite. You see, whatever they use to sedate them might be of conventional means, but it sends the little ones here. The Velvet Room is no place for such young visitors."

Sae pointed at the girl now standing beside him without looking at her. "What about that one?"

Lavenza was caught of guard and blinked before she retorted. "I'll have you know I'm older than you are!"

Sae scoffed at her. "Oh, so you're legal? Well that's good."

Lavenza facial expression exuded total confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Igor intervened before the two females got into an open cat fight. "O-hoo~ Goodness me, we're almost out of time. To get straight to the point, the contract is for us to work together as allies against a common adversary, such as Wonderland. When our guests sign the contract, it allows them to come and go from the Velvet Room as they please."

Sae took one last look around the strange, giant version of her father's room and closed her eyes. Sighing, she gave them the shoo gesture before turning around to walk away. "Yeah, thanks but no thanks. I'd rather not come back here. Much less work with a creepy old man who has a nose the size of a dick and a little girl that calls him master."

Igor and Lavenza looked at each other in mutual shock and disbelief. "Fine, she doesn't even have a Persona anyway.." Lavenza muttered, causing Igor to place a hand on her shoulder.

"Give her time. She's not like the teenagers we've been having. That woman has yet to meet her other self."

[09/17 Afternoon: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Break it Down -elp version- ~]

Sae woke up to the sound of Makoto knocking on her door. She left it locked last night so when her sister couldn't open it to check on her it made Makoto worry. It wasn't like her to sleep in this late. "Sis, are you okay?"

"Yeah, give me a minute." She answered groggily and got up. The feeling of her panties still wet from last night was embarrassing and she knew it would be noticeable. The two sisters had seen each other naked numerous times so no state of undress was out of the ordinary, but her current situation was too awkward. Sae put on some clothes and, knowing Makoto would likely be curious why, preemptively changed the subject as soon as she opened the door. "No class today, right? Did you still happen to make any coffee?"

Makoto shook her head no and Sae walked passed her to the kitchen. She took at quick gander inside her sister's room while she wasn't paying attention and noticed the laptop on her desk. Along with the clothes she wore the night before strewn about the floor. ("Ah, I see. So it must have been one of those nights.") Makoto noted with a slight smile. Sae only really used her laptop for work and left it in her home office, if not on one of the tables. Every now and then she would habitually bring it to her room for more 'leisure' activities. After making her assumptions, Makoto went to the living room and turned on the news.

While Sae made coffee, her mind focused on the dream she had and everything she experienced last night. In regards to the videos, she tried to remember all the details that could be clues without getting too caught up on the sexually explicit aspects. The last thing she wanted to do was make herself horny in the middle of the day and not be able to do anything about it. Especially when she didn't take the edge off last night. Her frustration would be compounded twice over. With Makoto around she figured the best thing to do was try to be mundane and strike up a conversation. "So how have your friends been? Talk to any of them lately?"

Makoto was sitting on the sofa now, watching the news when Sae took her aback with the sudden question. "Huh? Oh. No, not really. But we do try to keep in touch ever since Akira left. Ann's modeling for a lingerie magazine while finishing her senior year. Haru took over her father's company and rebranded it, which you might have noticed. Big Bang Burger changed its name to Banging Big Burgers. Ryuji dropped out of school and took a management position there. Haru gave it to him since they started dating. Yusuke's working for a manga company drawing something called yaoi. Futaba's building a website for what she won't say and Akira.. Last I heard from him he was eloping with Ms. Kawakami to get married."

"Kawakami? Sadayo Kawakami?! His teacher?!" Sae's eyes went wide in surprise.

Makoto nodded. "Yeah. Didn't see that one coming, huh?"

"Can't say I did. I figured they had a good relationship but not THAT good." She recalled the confessions Akira made in that interrogation room several months ago. Amongst them were details about Kawakami and how she helped him at school in exchange for keeping her maid side job a secret. ("Pfft, maids. I bet most of them are just undercover prostitutes anyway.") She chided, but then wondered if their service also offered butlers.

"So what was that package the other day?" Makoto asked, her question catching Sae off guard.

"What package? Oh, that? It was uh ... coupons for free pizza. Yeah, I think it was a prank gift from a former client. Someone out there must be trying to tempt me into a little bit self-indulgent gluttony."

Makoto laughed. "That's hilarious. As if you of all people could be tempted into doing something so unhealthy. They should know your will power is way too strong for that."

"Haha.. Well you never know, nobody's perfect, right?" She responded with a nervous laugh. Her mind wondered provocatively back to the videos on the flash drive thanks to the subject change. In order to clear her head and focus on the details that mattered while avoiding the very object that tormented her, Sae decided to go out for a walk. "I'm going to go get some breakfest, do you want anything?"

"No thanks, I already ate."

[09/17 Daytime: Shibuya, Untouchable]  
[~ Layer Cake ~]

Sae's train of thought honed in on a clue in the first video. She didn't recognize the red 'Get Smoked' hat but the fake gun was a lead. It looked real but something about it was off. She remembered the model guns Akira had in his possession and the info he gave her on their supplier during his interrogation. Her hunch led her to the airsoft shop in Shibuya. "Hello, Iwai Munehisa, I presume?" She asked the clerk after walking in and making sure there were no other customers.

The man looked up from the magazine he was reading and gave her his full attention. "That's right. Who's asking?"

"I'm Sae Niijima, a friend of Akira's." She said with a friendly smile.

He eyed her up and down, clearly checking her out. "You don't look like the kind of 'friend' he would have."

"I don't? What makes you say that?" She arched her eyebrows at him then took a look at herself, wondering what caused his suspicion.

"I dunno, no offense but you kinda look like a fed." He said with a shrug.

Sae folder her arms and leaned back to show some confidence. "Oh really? And I take it you don't talk to feds about your special wares, do you?"

He sat quietly for a moment and just stared at her before finally speaking again. "I don't know what you're talking about." He then went back to reading his magazine.

"Come on, handsome, if I were after a guy like you, you'd know it." She deliberately tossed him a compliment in a flirtatious tone to draw his attention back at her. Iwai looked up to see Sae leaning over his counter now. She had one hand on her hip, which was extravagantly jutted out, and the other hand holding up her face by the chin. She gave a flirtatious smile and Iwai figured if whatever she wanted was enough to make her try to seduce him for it, then taking the bait might be worth it.

"..Alright then sure, I'll bite." He returned the smile and stood up from his chair to invite her into the back room. Sae followed suit with a slight sense of pride in her womanly charms. She never needed to use them before but wanted to now for some reason. She figured it was either because that was easier than getting a warrant. Or because she was letting her libido get the best of her. Iwai stopped short of opening the door and spoke over his shoulder. "It's not every day I get a woman in my shop. Much less one interested in my special wares."

"This one's more interested in another woman who might have been here." Sae got straight to the point by diverting his comment toward another person.

"Ah, so this isn't about Akira." He said, rubbing the back of his neck while looking down at the floor. Iwai then turned around to face her, seemingly rescinding his invitation. "Well, sorry but I don't volunteer information about my other customers. What they do with the wares I sell is on them and I take no responsibility for it."

Sae placed a hand on her hip and reached out an open palm with the other. "What if we made a deal? You don't have to tell me 'who' she was but if you know 'why' she bought it that could help me out."

Iwai scowled. "Why? Protection, why else? My guns aren't real but they look it and they make a good theft deterrent."

Sae dawned a confident smile in response and folded her arms across her chest. "I never said it was a gun. Is that what you're selling behind that door?"

Iwai was getting visibly angry now. "Well played lady, but that's enough mind games. I want you out of my store."

Her smile turned into an innocent frown upon hearing his rejection. "Aw, is that what you really want though? I'm making you an offer I don't give most men." She then suddenly got on her knees and looked up at him with a straight face, letting Iwai know exactly what was on the table.

"Holy shit ... You serious?" His brow arched in disbelief and Sae simply nodded to reassure him. Iwai hated cops but kneeled before him was a female fed succinctly offering him a blowjob. He thought it seemed too good to be true, so he started by slowly unbuckling his pants to see if she would flinch. He paused his movements when Sae raised a finger.

"Hold on, while I'm doing this I want you to tell me everything. That's the deal."

Iwai gave her a big smile to show his agreement. "Fine by me. Come on in here and consider our deal made as fuck." He finally opened the door to his back room and let Sae go in first. Once they were both inside, he locked the door behind him, whipped out his dick and started talking when she started sucking.

[09/17 Evening: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Wicked Plan ~]

Sae rushed home to brush, rinse, gurgle and think. She wondered if the information Iwai gave her was worth trading in her gag reflex for it. Their exchange costed her more than a bit of dignity, but she rationalized it as being an act caused by her own pent up sexual frustrations. By not managing her lust the night before, it ended up manifesting itself on a whim the next day. The past forty-eight hours had taken their toll on her and she acted rashly at the first opportunity for some kind of physical contact. Giving in to a moment of desperation multiplied her craving because it was just a taste. She took care of him but Iwai didn't do anything for her in return. At least not as far as pleasure was concerned. They exchanged phone numbers afterwards in case Iwai got any new info or she needed to use him again. He ran a shady business but he was a decent enough guy who could be the perfect informant for her. Plus he was hung, so she figured he might come in handy later in more ways than one. With no regrets, Sae decided it was time for her to finally masturbate and get the accumulated stress out of her system before it made her do something really stupid.

[09/17 Late Night: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Interrogation Room ~]

She waited until Makoto went to bed before getting started. The last thing she wanted was to be interrupted. Especially tonight because there was a feeling it wasn't going to be a usual one. Her sessions often lead her to the same porno sites, as was her routine. Looking at fetishes that usually worked for her when she was in the mood. Casually, she played with her breasts, stroked her clitoris and dipped a few fingers inside her pussy. Already wet and fully naked, she just wasn't feeling it, which wasn't outside of the ordinary. Sometimes she needed more, like her reliable sex toy. "Looks like it's going to be one of those nights, Ted." She said, looking directly at the apparatus on the top shelf of her open closet. It resembled a stuffed animal, a big anthropomorphic bear with blue fur in a red and white jumpsuit style outfit. She won it as a prize several years ago at a department store in a small town called Inaba. Their father once took them there for vacation at the Amagi Inn. Sae kept the prize she won around as a souvenir but it also served as a good hiding place for her secret stash of sex toys. The bear had a zipper that went around its 'neck' to open a hollow core. Inside was where she hid a small, corded hitachi wand and a huge, red vibrator.

Sae grabbed the bear, unzipped the head, pulled out the red dildo and rubbed it against her cheek. "Did you miss me, Ted?" She said to the inanimate object affectionately. Dropping the bear on the floor after taking her favorite toy out of it, she went back to her desk where her laptop was waiting. Sae sat down with her legs spread wide on each side of the chair, slowly easing Ted into herself with one hand while she controlled the mouse with the other. "Alright, let's find something good." For a while she clicked through one video after another. Opening several tabs on various websites. She looked up all kinds of kinks, from vanilla lovemaking to gang bangs and hardcore rape play. Growing more agitated by the minute, Sae mumbled to herself begrudgingly. "Dammit, none of this is working..!" Despite how fast she moved Ted in and out of her pussy, she just wasn't getting off. That's when a sudden thought occurred to her. ("I've never really looked up bestiality before. That might be pretty hot and nasty. Let's see if I can find some.")

When she couldn't and got tired of trying because every site she found had more pop-up ads than porn, Sae verbally resigned herself to the inevitable. "Fuck it. That 'evidence' they gave me is the only thing I've been able to think about for the last two days. I'll do this once and get it out of my system. Then once that's over with I can go back to normal." After talking to no one but herself, she continued the conversation in her head while she got the flash drive ready. ("It's my job to look at it in the first place. Why shouldn't I be allowed to 'analyze' it however I see fit? I can manage my work while taking care of some personal business at the same time. Do they expect no one get turned on when they're dealing with literal porn? How ridiculous. This is the only way I'll be able to focus so I might as well do it now and get serious afterwards.")

Sae watched the first video of the woman and the boy to warm up, then moved on to the second video. The second one consisted of a man and a girl of unknown relation to each other in a brightly lit, unidentifiable location. Similar to the boy in the first video, the girl was also elementary school aged, but younger. The man had an average build and indeterminable age with no identifiable birthmarks or tattoos. As with all the other videos, their faces were censored. He tossed the girl around like a rag doll while he abused her unconscious body. Sae thought it was amazing how they never woke up no matter what their assailants did to them. Whatever drug or substance the victims were under the influence of, it was something highly potent. The sex was almost necrophiliac in nature, aside from the obvious breathing. The man actually dared to threaten the girl's air supply when he fucked her mouth. They laid on their sides with him timing his thrusts so as not to choke her too much. When she did gag, it gave Sae an extra tingle because it reminded her of the experience she had with Iwai only a few hours ago.

With a wicked grin forming on her face, Sae figuratively spoke to the man in the video. "Go on, do it harder. Don't stop just because she's choking a little." She put a finger in her own mouth and sucked it a little while vigorously pumping and twisting Ted around between her legs. When the man finally stopped to fuck the girl properly, Sae noticed for the first time that there was no blood when he ruthlessly penetrated her. "Oh, so she must be a little slut who's got some experience. Too bad she probably wasn't awake during any of it. I bet she would have cried." Sae imagined it and got a thrill from the thought of seeing a girl suffer real rape. At the moment, she would have liked to watch anything involving a conscious person. Especially if they were a child. Sae fucked herself in tune with the man's movements. Going so far as to even imitate him by sticking a finger in her ass when he penetrated the girl anally. The video was almost over by the time Sae was getting close to orgasm. It ended in Wonderland's signature style of giving a clue to their subjects' identities before showing their logo.

Sae came when the man did so in the girl's ass. After he was done, he put her clothes back on, which was a simple dress with red and pink stripes. The clue in his video was a sign he held up. It read ["Every day is great here."] His censored head then appeared to be looking straight up at the bright white sky as he exhaled. The video ended with the camera panning up to Wonderland's logo in the sky. Sae closed out the video before it started playing the next one and put her laptop away. She felt excruciatingly guilty but enormously satisfied once she finally dissipated on a desire that was fast approaching critical mass.

After all was said and done, she suddenly broke out into a fit of hysterical laughter she had to muffle with her hands. Once she got herself back under control, Sae quietly confessed her 'crime' to herself. "I did it..! I really actually did it..! Oh God, the irony. I'm just as bad as the predators I'm supposed to catch. Who am I to judge them now that I've masturbated to the things they've done? Some professional you turned out to be, Sae. If the higher ups knew about this they'd probably take the case away from you ... And that's only if I was lucky. If not so lucky, they'd probably lock me up." After criticizing herself, she grabbed a towel she kept by her desk. Sae wiped the sweat from her forehead and the rest of her body. She then pulled out the dildo lodged inside her and it made an audible plopping sound due to her pussy's tight grip on it. Wiping it off with the towel too, she made sure it was nice and dry before cleaning up the small, creamy puddle she made on the chair. Afterwards she tossed the toy and the towel across the room, where one smacked the bear still laying on the floor and the other landed on top of it. "Okay, that's enough 'work' for me tonight. Time to go to bed." She got under the sheets and promptly fell sound asleep.

[09/18 Midnight: Niijima Residence]  
[~ The Poem of Everyone's Souls ~]

"Welcome back." Said an eerily familiar voice. Sae raised her head, which was facing downward as if she were sleeping in a chair. Blinking and squinting her eyes once she came to, she saw whom the voice was coming from. It was Igor who greeted her this time.

"Oh great. Not this place again. Let me out of here." She would have got up and walked away like before but this time her body felt too heavy to move.

"We brought you here to commend you on your progress. You forged and new bond and took your first step towards meeting your other self." He told her, making Sae feel quite curious.

"My other self? Wait, what bond?"

Lavenza stepped forward to begin explaining what Igor said to her. "You formed a bond with someone of the Hanged Man arcana. With it you will be able to-"

Sae interrupted her, which seemed to be becoming the norm between them. "Hold on. Who's being hanged?! That's not how it works anymore. I'll have you charged with conspiracy to commit murder if you don't answer me right now!"

Lavenza snarled. "Will you shut up and let me finish for once?! We're talking about the man you met called Iwai, Iwai Munehisa." After saying his name, she paused for Sae's reaction.

"..Oh, him? I only just met the guy today. Don't tell me he's getting hanged for being hung." She joked sarcastically with a slight smirk.

Lavenza sighed at Sae's sense of humor and facepalmed herself. "That's not funny. How you establish your bonds doesn't matter, as long as you have them on your journey they will help you awaken to new, or perhaps I should say at least 'one' Persona. Since you don't have any yet. Each new bond you make becomes a new strength that can be harnessed for even greater power. Our role as attendants of the Velvet Room is to provide you, the wild card, with fusion services and other methods of cultivating your bonds."

Sae looked at Lavenza like she had just announced her secret identity as a Phoenix Ranger. "Okay, I have no idea what you're talking about. All I did was suck his dick, we didn't get married. What makes you call that a bond? If anything it was more like a bribe. Should I happen to form any more 'bonds' with anyone else, do me a favor and stay out my personal life by not bringing it up. I can be a slut for two minutes if I want and that's none of your damn business." Lavenza's face turned red with embarrassment, frustration and anger. Sae's lack of manners, shame, decency and spiritual acuity annoyed her greatly. "Also, you mentioned something about meeting my other self, what's that about? Is it supposed to be related to this Persona thing?" Sae continued, turning her attention towards Igor now. The old man sat idly staring at Sae, bewildered.

"Yes, well, you've accepted another side of yourself today and that brought you closer to acknowledging your.. what we in the super natural industry call a shadow. Once you've done that is when you'll awaken to a Persona. It's something the kids do it all the time these days." Sae's eyebrow twitched at how they could say such things with straight faces. For a brief moment there was total, awkward silence between the three of them.

"... So you're telling me I can be like the Phantom Thieves? How quaint, but do I look like a kid to you? Actually, don't answer that, I probably do to someone your age. And as hard as I'm sure it is for you to keep that nose of yours out of other people's business, please do try to keep it out of mine as much as possible. I don't like it here in case you haven't noticed."

In response to her words, Lavenza raised a palm towards Sae and unleashed a small ball of light at her. "Fine, we release you. The next time we meet will be after you've gained some insight from your other self. You have not the slightest idea of how this works and that won't change until you've had a moment of clarity."

Sae could feel her body becoming lighter and she was finally able to move freely. After the spell wore off completely, she jumped to her feet and repudiated them. "Whatever. Like I said before, I don't need your help. Tell your 'master' you've got a better place he can stick his nose." Leaving them with that remark, she turned around and walked away, ending her own dream again.

[09/18 Afternoon: Niijima Residence]  
[~ New Beginning ~]

Sae woke up well rested, clearheaded and ready to start the day. She was able to sleep in without being rudely awakened this time since Makoto had class to attend. Sitting up in bed, she stretched and hopped out of it in a good mood. The first thing she noticed were her 'toys' she left lying on the floor last night. ("Well shit, that could have been pretty embarrassing if Makoto came in here and saw those. How careless of me.") Sae didn't know what she would do in a scenario where her sister found her toys -and- their hiding place. Both of which being on prominent display currently. She quickly cleaned up the mess and went about her morning routine.

A cup of the coffee was waiting for her, graciously left there by Makoto. She turned on the TV to the news felt like the weatherman spoke to her directly when he said it was going to be a cool and bright sunny day. "What's that Mr. Weatherman? It's Saeday and I can do whatever I want? Thanks, but I still have a job to do." She jested before putting on her usual demeanor and getting down to business. "Alright, from what Iwai told me yesterday.."

[09/18 Daytime: Akihabara]  
[~ Suspicion ~]

Iwai told Sae about a woman who'd recently bought a particular gun she inquired about. She matched one from his selection with the one the woman held in the video. Iwai told her she claimed to have a son who loved playing video games with guns in them and she wanted to use one that looked real to teach her son a lesson. The details on the woman were too vague for a lead, but a boy who liked video games and guns sounded familiar. Sae recalled Akira telling her about a boy who taught him how to use guns at an arcade when she interrogated him. He said the boy hung out at the arcade she stood outside of around this time of day. Her stake out started a few minutes before after school hours so she could catch the boy before he went in. When a kid wearing a red hat showed up, Sae felt certain he was the one and called out to the boy by name. "Shinya? Shinya Oda? Hiii! Sorry, but can I talk to you for a minute? I'm a friend of Akira's." She needed him to lower his guard first, so she spoke in a friendly manner and mentioned their mutual acquaintance.

Shinya squinted at Sae who was walking towards him and met her halfway. Once they were in close enough proximity to each other and he was able to get a better look at Sae, Shinya got a little suspicious of her. "Aren't you kind of old to be a friend of his?"

Sae gasped and almost tripped over herself. "Wha, W-What?! Of course not! I've got a younger sister his age! That wasn't a very nice thing to say you know. Anyone can be friends no matter how old or young they are." She scolded him a bit over the unintentional insult. Though she was mostly annoyed at being the one who let her guard down.

Shinya bowed his head and apologized. "Sorry, it just came out."

Regaining her composure, Sae noticed the words on the boy's hat upon closer inspection. 'Get Smoked', the words boosted her confidence in knowing she found the right person, so she made an effort to clear the air with him. "It's okay. Hey, do you want something to drink?"

"S-Sure!" He accepted, but hesitantly. Sae bought him a soft drink from a nearby vending machine and, while watching him gulp it down, couldn't help but stare at the boy's neck. She remembered how his mother wrapped her hands around it in the video and briefly thought about doing it to him herself. Subconsciously, she licked her lips before realizing what she was thinking. Sae brought herself back to reality by snapping her wide-eyed gaze away from him towards literally anything else.

("Get a hold of yourself, Sae! That's a CHILD you're thinking about! An innocent! A victim! He's not some plaything for you to have your way with!") She screamed at herself inside her head as the guilt for an action she hadn't even taken was setting in. Once she was out of her daydream, Sae muttered an apology to Shinya. "Sorry.."

"Sorry for what?" He looked up at her and asked.

Sae was taken aback by his question. "Did I say that out loud..?" She asked half to herself, half to Shinya.

The boy nodded in response. "Is there something wrong? You did want to talk to me, right? About what?"

Sae had lost all her focus and didn't know how to approach the subject of Shinya's mother. Despite the guilt, she found herself getting aroused around him and couldn't look at Shinya without picturing him naked. Which was very easy for her to do since she'd already seen him that way in the video. Reluctantly, Sae figured it would be in her best interest to get away from the boy. She couldn't afford to let her urges take control of her this time. Not in that situation, which to her dismay, was already making her think about offering him another drink. One with alcohol in it. "Listen, sorry but I have got to go. Maybe we can talk later?" She told him, flashing a smile with a wink. Somewhere deep inside her consciousness, part of her saw this as postponing an opportunity to take him to a more secluded location. And her greatest fear in the moment was what she might do if only they had a little more privacy.

"Okay.." Shinya said without understanding the reason behind her facial expression. After they parted ways, Sae hastily walked to the train station that would get her home. But on her way there she noticed all the maids standing along the street, advertising their 'services' and whatnot. They reminded her of a thought she had prior to meeting Iwai.

[09/18 Evening: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Restlessness ~]

When Sae got home and made sure Makoto wasn't around, she took out her phone and looked up the maid service she knew Kawakami used to work for. Once she found it, she called them up with an inquiry.

"Hi. I was wondering, do you guys have butlers?"

[...]

"I see."

[...]

"No butlers, only 'male' maids, huh?"

[...]

"Yes, I understand, crossdressers are pretty popular these days."

[...]

"You know, that doesn't sound too bad, I'll take it."

[...]

"Hmm, who do I want to request?"

[...]

"No, that won't be necessary. How about you just send me the youngest person you have?"

[...]

"Great! Thanks, bye."

The operator over the phone offered Sae an 'improvised' butler who would come wearing regular male clothes rather than a maid outfit. She asked Sae if she wanted to speak with their available male associates individually first before making her decision, but Sae declined the offer. It was part of her gamble to see if their service really was a guise for prostitution. She knew she could have just called Iwai and have sex with him but she wasn't in the mood for a man's man. Nor the potential strings that might come attached with him. If her hunch paid off, she would have the closest thing she could to a young boy tonight. One she could make do whatever she wanted since she was paying for it. Her expectations were that she'd be ordering an ordinary butler who might even be older she was. But the fact that their company only had 'male' maids turned out to be more beneficial than anticipated. It meant that not only would their male employees be young and cute enough to pull off crossdressing, but they did so on a regular basis. And knowing their clientèle was undoubtedly male by majority, their 'male' maids had to be okay with what came with the territory of crossdressing.

("So if this one's bisexual, he's probably open to more things than the average straight guy. Which means I'll be able to have some real fun if this company's pimping out legit whores.") Sae made her conclusions and got fired up with excitement. She would still have to make sure first though once her 'maid' arrived. If it was established that sex was on the menu, they would skip the formalities and go straight to a love hotel. Sae didn't want to risk Makoto coming home in the middle of their session and having to make up an explanation. When her guy arrived at the front door, she lead him to her home office, where she claimed it was the room to be cleaned. As he began to study the room, bending over here, crouching or getting on all fours there, Sae used the chance to study his ass. It was almost like he was deliberately providing her ample views of it. ("Hmm, there's no way that's a virgin.") After taking in his very effeminate appearance and body language, she made note of his 'improvised' butler outfit. She imagined what he might look like dressed as a girl, since he could certainly pass for one. But his present attire consisted of black slack pants and a long sleeved, frilly white button up shirt with a red rose on it. Physically, he had blond hair that was combed to the side, bright blue eyes, a slim figure and fair skin. "So what's your name?" She finally asked him.

He faced her and gave a perky, enthusiastic answer. "Teddie!"

[09/18 Late Night: Shinjuku, Red-light District]  
[~ Price ~]

Sae's gamble was right on the money. Not only was the maid service a front for a prostitution ring, but Teddie was more than willing to meet her demands. Choosing a place that would attract the least amount of attention, they chose a random love hotel in Shinjuku's Red-light District. The room they booked had all the amenities one would need for a night of purely debaucherous fun. Prepackaged sex toys, lubricants, pornography tapes and one big comfortable bed. While they prepared themselves by taking off their clothes, Sae had to ask since she hadn't done so yet. "By the way, how old are you?"

With a wide smile he never lost, Teddie answered her charmingly. "As old as you want me to be, milady."

Sae returned the smile and asked another question. "Fair enough. And what exactly do you do, if you know what I mean?"

"Anything you want, milady." He said, fully nude now and waiting for her on the bed. He assumed his position on all fours to signify his total submission to her, which gave Sae pause. For a moment, she worried he might just be teasing her. That he was only putting on an act as part of his job. Whores generally did that to be more enticing when they had someone on the hook.

"Don't say that if you don't mean it.." Sae said in a way that implied vulnerability. She was letting Teddie know in not so many words that his willingness was making her feel too anxious. If he wasn't going to set any limits, she might actually hurt him if he let her. Teddie didn't show any sign of backing down, which prompted Sae to walk over to the glass cabinet in the room where the sex toys for sell were held. She grabbed the biggest strap-on it had in there and, ignoring the price, ripped open the packaging. Fastening it to herself, she made sure Teddie also noticed how she ignored the lubes. "I'm going to fuck you dry with this."

When his response to that was the same wide smile, Sae put her hands on her hips. He then got off the bed and leabed over the side, facing his ass towards her. In a wicked tone of voice, she spoke to him in a manner she rarely did towards anyone, dirty. "That's right. Bend over your ass over for me, faggot."

Teddie further obliged her by reaching his arms back to spread his cheeks. "As you wish, milady."

Sae felt herself getting annoyed with Teddie already. He was turning her on a little too much and it had the side effect of being aggravating due to bringing out a side of her she never knew she had. "Don't call me milady anymore! It's mistress or Madam Sae!" She snapped at him and pressed the tip of the strap-on against his asshole.

"Yes mila- M-Madam Sae." He whimpered, both at her words and the phallus she slowly pushed into him. With the tip now planted firmly past his sphincter, she gave him one final warning.

"Alright, here it comes. I hope you're ready to get fucked." She waited a split second more and then pushed it all the way in in one go. To her surprise, it went in extremely smooth, as if his body were made of marshmallow. "What the hell is this?! No lube and yet it went all the way in like a loose pussy?! You sissy bitch! How many dicks have you been taking back here?!" Her questions and taunts accompanied her reckless thrusting.

"I've lost count mila- Madam Sae." Teddie answered her without showing any signs of pain or discomfort, which intentionally egged her on even more. She started to fuck him harder and with one hand, reached out to grab his hair. Shoving his face into the bed, she used her other hand to squeeze and claw at his ass cheeks. Sae desperately wanted to get some kind of reaction out of him. His malleable, submissive demeanor was a major turn on but it also frustrated her.

("If only you showed a little defiance or resistance, that would be great.") She thought of telling him but the words didn't come out, she knew it wouldn't be real if he reciprocated. In order to satisfy her own rough sex fantasy, she imagined him saying things like, ("That's all you got?") over and over. After several minutes of overexerting herself against Teddie's subtly stoic attitude, Sae gave up trying to 'break' him. She was more impressed than disappointed, and the disappointment lied in herself. She wrote it off as just being another way she couldn't compete with a man.

When she finally stopped and took off the strap-on, she laid down on the bed and next to him. "Haa.. You know, no matter how much you take it up the ass, I don't see how you can handle a dick that big so easily without any lube. It's inhuman." She said, exhausted.

Teddie giggled and turned onto his side to face her. "Maybe I'm not exactly human. Maybe I was born and bred with the perfect body to please you, Madam Sae."

She looked at him and sighed, knowing his sentiment was just an act. Whore speak for 'I'll say whatever you want to hear' in a silver tongue. But in order to avoid souring the mood, she complimented him on it instead. "Yeah, your body is great. Perhaps too great. But you see, I need there to be a little something up here for maximum enjoyment." She said while tapping a finger on the side of her cranium.

Teddie arched his eyebrows before fully misinterpreting her gesture. "Oh, if you want head I can give you as much as you want."

Sae scoffed. "Ha, cute. I know it's your job and all, but that mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble. If you keep making this so easy for me.." She was trying in vain to send him a message but it wasn't getting through. ("Stop provoking my libido so much!") She yelled at him in her head while he just kept staring at her with his big blue eyes and childlike smile. Sae forfeited her attempts to reach what little amount of ego Teddie might have had and opted to just let him give her oral sex instead. "Alright, fine. Since you offered, let's see how good your head is at sucking this." She spread her legs as she spoke and directed his attention down towards her pussy by gently massaging her clitoral hood. "It's not a dick, but I want you to eat it like one. Got it?"

Teddie nodded enthusiastically and knelt down on side the bed between her legs for best access. As soon as he started, Sae knew his technique was going to be flawless. He expertly licked the alphabet around her clit, dug his tongue inside and out, nibbled and sucked on her pleats. He also made plenty of 'Mmm' sounds to imply she tasted good. To her delight, he even licked her asshole without needing her to tell him to. Sae suspected he was accustomed to doing that for his male clients who wanted a crossdressing maid for a reason. The thought of him topping a guy made her wonder how good he must be at using his dick. But first, she wanted him to make her cum with his mouth. To insure that happened, she grabbed his head and furiously ground her hips across his face. "Stick your fingers in me! Both holes!" She demanded of him. He did so and finished her off by sucking her clit. "FUUuu~CK!!" Sae's voice shifted midway to a high pitch when she screamed out her orgasm.

Done for now, Teddie stopped to let Sae catch her breath. With the back of her hand covering her flushed face, she peaked down to see him obediently sitting like a dog on its hind legs, waiting for her next command. "Kid, you are something else. If I could, I would buy your ass and hide you in my closet." Upon saying that, she realized the correlation between his name and the one she gave her dildo. ("Ted and Teddie, what a coincidence. This must be fate.") After thinking about it, she sat up and saw Teddie's raging hard-on. "Look at you. Waiting so patiently for your treat like a good boy. Wanna be my dog?"

Teddie gave a nervous laugh at her comment. "Haha.. I'm more of a bear than a dog, actually."

Sae glanced him over, trying to imagine Teddie being the 'bear' in a gay relationship. ("Yeah, right. Not with that feminine body of yours.") Deciding it was time to finish up before it got too late, Sae got off the bed and leaned over it with her legs parted. "Let's finish this. It's your turn to fuck me now. Give me all you got." Her pussy was mere inches away from his face since he was still sitting on his knees.

"Yes ma'am, Madam Sae!!" Teddie exclaimed, more excited now than ever when he pounced on her. She was actually offering him her ass too but he naturally went straight for her pussy. It wouldn't have mattered to her which hole he took, since he wasn't that big and she already came anyway. Her asshole was wet enough from his saliva and her own juices to welcome penetration. ("Figures. Maybe I should have told him he could do my ass if wants. Since he let me plow into his so hard I do feel like I kind of deserve it. Oh well, better to save something for next time, I guess.") While Sae closed her eyes and thought about getting her own comeuppance from Teddie, he rammed into her more accommodating hole instead. She was feeling it for sure, but since she just had a powerful orgasm a few minutes ago, the pleasure was mostly his. All Sae needed to be satisfied was some good cunnilingus, which he gave in spades.

When Teddie came, he courteously pulled out and shot it over her ass. She didn't make him wear a condom because it would have been fine if he came inside. It was a safe day and she had the pill just in case. To her pleasant surprise though, Teddie licked his own cum off of her ass after he was done. It was such a turn on it almost made her want to go another round, but she refrained. They both got dressed and exchanged contact information before leaving. Sae made sure Teddie knew he would definitely be hearing from her again.

"Truly, the pleasure was all mine, Madam Sae." Teddie said with a gentlemanly bow. They went their separate ways and his words sent her home in a flutter. Once she got there, Sae went straight to bed. Before falling asleep, she silently prayed. "God, please don't let me have any weird dreams tonight about bonds.."

[09/19 - 09/24]

[09/25 Daytime: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Beneath the Mask -rain- ~]

An uneventful week had passed. After three days of psychological warfare with herself and one good lay to ceasefire it, Sae was able to get back to her normal, daily life. The only difference now was that she had two new men in her life. Iwai, who she agreed to go on a date with recently, and Teddie, who she had raunchy sex with a few days before that. Juggling between the two kept her preoccupied enough to not fall into another state of rapture with the SIU's flash drive. She worried that without the solace she found in her new friends, she might have let depravity usurp her intelligence. Because that was what the Wonderland case was doing to her. But for once, she was able to stay home and relax due to it being a rainy day outside.

"Ugh! Stop calling them bonds!" Sae yelled at a soap opera she was watching on TV. When the characters in the show said the phrase 'bonds we share', it triggered her. Which incidentally reminded Sae of the recurring dreams she was trying to forget. "Dammit, now I'm annoyed." She said through gritted teeth and turned off the TV. ("What am I going to do now? Not in the mood to watch TV anymore, that's for sure. And it's raining cats and dogs outside.") She thought about calling Teddie over but knew they wouldn't be able to do anything at her place. She didn't want to spoil her date with Iwai that was coming up soon either by seeing him before then. She sat silently on the sofa for a few minutes thinking about her options to cure the boredom. ("Makoto won't be home from class until evening so I've got the place all to myself for a while.. Maybe I should try to relax in another way.. Doing 'that' again wouldn't hurt.. Especially since I've got nothing else to do.. Maybe I should do something real naughty this time though just to spice it up a bit.. Yeah, that would make it more fun and satisfying..")

With a devilish grin, Sae got up to go get her laptop from her room. Then, walking back out with it, she looked side to side at one then the other in deliberation. ("Hmm, my home office that used to be dad's room.. Or Makoto's room.. Which one do I want to masturbate in..? Well that's a pretty fucking easy decision. I don't know why I'm even thinking about it.") Sae felt moderately disgusted at the thought of doing it in her 'father's' room. Makoto's room, however, felt more appropriate, less gross and dare she say, deserved. Having to raise Makoto after their father died made Sae feel like her life was being strangled. She loved her little sister but still felt some resentment towards her for being a dependent. Therefore Sae's reasoning behind soiling Makoto's room in such a way was primarily self-indulgent theater. A lewd act meant to demonstrate ownership over her younger sister to no one but herself.

"Sorry Makoto, but you owe me this much for being a burden over the years." With her laptop in hand, open and already playing the evidence videos, Sae was ready to masturbate on Makoto's bed without remorse. As soon as she got on the bed and undid her pants to slip in a hand under them, her phone chimed with a text.

[*Pi Pi Pi*]

"Oh GODDAMNIT!! Leave me alone!" She cursed at it in sheer annoyance. Grabbing her phone to see who had the clairvoyance to bother her at such an inopportune moment, her eyes went wide when she saw the name. "Oh shit.."

[09/25 Daytime: SIU / Prosecutor's Office]  
[~ Suspicion ~]

"You must be wondering why I called you here so suddenly. Before I answer that, let me ask you something. Have you made any progress in the case? We haven't heard a word from you at all." The SIU Director asked Sae. He had a serious look on his face and it made her feel uneasy.

"Yes, I have a suspect but it's nothing solid. I want to make sure first before I authorize an arrest." She was fairly certain Shinya Oda's mother raped him but she couldn't prove it. Part of her wasn't even sure she wanted to, for multiple reasons. Iwai most likely wouldn't testify in court and they would wonder how she got the information out of him. There was no way she could tell them that she literally sucked it out. Another reason was she felt sympathetic towards Shinya's mother. Despite how wrong she knew it was. If she reported his mother and had her arrested, it would ruin Shinya's life over an experience he had no recollection of. Not to mention she also felt guilty for the many thought crimes she had. With the way the director was looking at her, Sae's fear was that he might be suspecting her of malfeasance.

After an awkward moment of silence, he spoke again. "Well, there's been a new development. You weren't the only one we 'trusted' as an expert consultant on this case, you know." Sae felt a pang when he emphasized the word trust in past tense. Not only did they make her believe she was the only one when she wasn't, but throwing that word at her made Sae feel exposed.

("He knows.. He knows I'm a perverted hypocrite.. A traitor to justice..") In her mind, Sae condemned herself as her heart sank from the weight of shame and regret.

Meanwhile, the Director continued talking. "All we care about is getting the job done. That's why we're going to have you two working with each other. Meet your new partner." He raised a hand towards the door, presenting an androgynous young woman who walked in. She appeared to be in her early twenties, had medium length blue hair, dark gray eyes and wore a formal all blue outfit with a blue hat to match. The woman bowed and formally introduced herself.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Niijima-senpai. I'm Naoto, Naoto Shirogane."

Dumbfounded, Sae returned the greeting. "Likewise.." She'd heard of Naoto before. The young, renowned detective who put Akechi to shame. Somewhat relieved, Sae thought at least she had no reason to feel incompetent. If Naoto was their other correspondent then they weren't bringing in nobodies for her to be compared to.

"Like you, Shirogane also has experience in dealing with radical cases. She discovered the new development I mentioned earlier and will brief you on it in there." The Director said, pointing towards the door of an adjacent dark room where they kept a projector. "I'll leave you two alone to discuss the matter and get acquainted." He left them alone in the office and the two women went into the dark room. The projector was already turned on, showing a computer screen with the same four familiar file names.

Naoto clicked on the first one to play it and began her analysis. "It is my assumption that a certain percentage of Wonderland's videos are fake. Of the four we have, I know for a fact that one of them is fabricated ... and it's not this one."

Sae wondered why Naoto paused before saying the last part. She also noted how Naoto let the video keep playing rather than skipping to the next one. ("Is she testing me?") Sae gave her sidelong glance and also noticed how Naoto's face remained expressionless. ("How can she be so professional about this? There's hardcore porn playing on the screen. Is she really not into it at all? Am I the only one who's a little wet in here? So I'm the freak, huh?") The sense of isolation was making Sae become agitated. ("Maybe I'm just over thinking it. Maybe she just wants to see if I'll point out what I know. But then that would mean she also knows what I do because she came the same conclusions. Heh, came to the same. Yeah, I bet you got off to this too, you bitch! How dare you try to judge me! Fuck you and the high horse you rode in on! Two can play at that game! You won't make me say anything!") While Sae was losing her mind, Naoto eventually moved on to the next video.

"It's this one. This is the fake. I know it is because I know who those people are. Or rather who they're supposed to be imitating, when and where." Snapping Sae out of her delusions with the revelation, she made her look back at the projection on the wall. The second video with the man and a girl was playing. "That's Taro Namatame and Nanako Dojima, from several years ago. It's in a place that no longer exists. And even when it did, it wasn't part of our world."

Sae's brow arched. "Part of our world? What do you mean? Was it something like the Metaverse?"

Naoto nodded in confirmation. "We called it the TV World. This video would have been nearly impossible to make due to a highly dense fog in that area. No camera could have worked in there. And even if one did, we didn't have the technology to produce videos of this quality back then. While the man did kidnap her, there were no signs of rape or foul play in her physical examination. He was mentally deranged, but had good intentions."

Sae's jaw dropped in astonishment. Both at Naoto's prowess, experience with the supernatural akin to a Phantom Thief, and how someone could fake such a video. She had mixed feelings about the latter. Part of her was glad that meant those horrendous acts never actually happened to a child, while another part of her was feeling disillusioned. Finding out it was fake diminished the impact of the 'porn' she let seduce her. ("I know it's wrong to be thinking like this, but the main reason I got turned on was because I thought it was real.") Mildly disappointed, she put such emotions aside for the sake of curiosity. "So how could someone have faked this? And why?"

Naoto shook her head. "I don't know how, but there was a similar phenomenon back then where very real looking imitations of people appeared on TV at midnight. They would always be in the TV World before the real persons in question were present there. When that happened we called it the Midnight Channel, because that's the only time it came on."

Sae felt even more confused now. "Okay, you're going to have to explain all of that to me later. So basically you're saying the fakes in this video are similar to the fakes on that Midnight Channel thing?"

Naoto nodded. "Correct. Only this time it's actual data we can collect rather than ephemeral transmissions. As for why they're making fake videos, I believe it's part of Wonderland's ploy to thwart law enforcement. With fabricated evidence, they can send them on wild goose chases by pursuing false leads."

Sae thought about that idea for a moment. "So then they may have caused the arrests of innocent people. Great, that's just what the justice system needs more of."

Naoto sighed in agreement. "Unfortunately yes. We may have to go back and analyze the evidence of prior convictions. We may also be looking at the possibility of hit pieces as well. If anyone wanted to get someone else in a lot of trouble, this would be an effective way to do it, even if the faces are censored. I can say one thing for sure though. Whoever made this video has to be someone who knows about what happened back then, in that world. Which I hate to say is a very small group of people, myself included. We were all there together and I can't imagine any of my friends being responsible for this.."

Sae looked at Naoto, who finally started showing signs of concern. In an effort to reassure her new colleague, she kept a positive outlook. "Well, there's still a lot we don't know yet. The truth is always out there, you just need to look for it hard enough."

Naoto turned to her with a faint smile for the first time. "You're right. Truly, the devil is in the details for this case."

[09/25 Evening: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Tension ~]

Sae got home to witness a frantic Makoto rushing out of 'her' bedroom, with a flushed face and disheveled clothes. This caused her to raise an eyebrow at her sister suspiciously. "Makoto.. What were you doing..?"

Shaking her head no, Makoto responded nervously. "N-Nothing! I was just um.. using the bathroom!"

Sae narrowed her eyes and looked Makoto up and down. She made sure her sister knew just what she was looking at, her clothes. Before saying anything else, Sae went to her bedroom to check in on it. "MAKOTO!!!" Sae screamed in shock when she found her laptop in there, open. Running back out to confront her sister about it, she continued. "What were you doing in my room, on my computer?!"

Makoto braced herself like a cornered mouse and whimpered. "I.. I was just putting your laptop back in your room. You left it in mine earlier so.."

The realization hit Sae like a ton of bricks falling onto a glass house and shattering it. In her haste to the Prosecutor's Office, she'd left her laptop in Makoto's room. It would have been already open and unlocked, on Makoto's bed, and with all the 'evidence' files accessible. And if she remembered correctly, to her dread, Sae also left one of the videos still playing.

Makoto was darting her eyes left to right with a red face, poking her index fingers together innocently. "Listen, Sis.. I promise I won't tell anyone.. I mean, if that's your thing it's just your thing. I still love you no matter what.. We're family after all.. But um, we have our own rooms so.."

Sae's composure was being demolished from multiple angles. "Wait, what?? NO! It's not like that! I mean, of course I love you too, but.. Hold on! That's not what this is about! It's not what it looks like! I'm.." She paused because she wasn't sure if she wanted to Makoto to know about what kind of case she was working on. Although she knew she couldn't let her think that was the kind of porn she had on her computer either. Her dilemma set a dangerous precedent because for the first time ever, Makoto had her on the ropes. But judging by the state of her face and clothes, it wasn't hard to guess what she was probably doing before she got home. There was an elephant in the room and neither Niijima sister knew how to address it. Despite Makoto having the upper hand, it wasn't lost on Sae how she said she still loved her. Even if she was into that sort of thing.

Personally, Sae hadn't fully come to terms with it herself, but she appreciated the sentiment none the less. Knowing she had someone who 'would' accept that side of her if there 'was' one made her forget her day at the Prosecutor's Office. Where she felt like an outcast. Makoto was more composed now when she spoke again. "It's okay. You don't have to say anything. Just know that I'm here for you if you need me."

It was rare for Makoto to see her sister looking so vulnerable, which made her try to be more comforting. Sae, however, wasn't about accept that because to her it meant defeat. Her pride restored her composure and she looked Makoto straight in the eyes. "So anyway, tell me.. Why are your clothes in such a mess? And why was your face so red? Don't act like I'm the only one who's got some explaining to do. You were masturbating to it, weren't you..?" She questioned her in a quiet tone. Makoto's eyes went wide and her face turned red again, but more so this time. Taking her silent reaction as a sign she was right, Sae grinned and got closer. What she saw in her sister's lack of denial was cause for interrogation. "Which video did you like the most? Was it the one that had a woman and a boy in it? The one with a man doing a girl..? What about the one with a man and a boy? Or perhaps, could it be that.. the one you liked most was the woman and the girl?" She was mere inches away from Makoto's face after the last question. They were close enough to kiss and it made her sister fidget madly.

"By chance are you interested in women? Or little girls for that matter. If you want, we can do it, if you know what I mean.. It doesn't have to be with each other.. We could find us some random little slut on the street and, well.. Take turns having our way with her.. Whatever you want to do, just say the word.." Sae cornered Makoto against the wall with her body pressing firmly into hers. Her voice was thick with passion as she breathed heavily into her sister's face. Makoto had never seen Sae in such a state. Her eyes were full of lust and she was saying the most outrageous she'd ever heard from her. She was acting as if she'd been possessed and it was scaring Makoto. Hopelessly caught up in the moment, Sae was feeling as though they had just shared a very intimate secret with each other. Despite the fact that Makoto herself made no such confessions. Emboldened, Sae reached for Makoto's crotch and grabbed it. "Come on, let's make something out of this. You'll be my companion, won't you?" She said pleadingly.

Her assault made Makoto scream and push her away. "No! What the hell is wrong with you, sis?! You're not acting like yourself at all and it's really scaring me!"

The force of her push threw Sae back and she fell down onto the sofa. Her eyes blinked twice and blankly stared up at the ceiling for several seconds. Once she came to her senses she looked back at her sister and apologized. "Makoto.. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.." Tears started forming and she got up to rush off for her room.

Makoto followed suit and tried to go in after her but Sae already locked the door. Standing outside her room, she knocked on the door and spoke through it. "Sis! It's okay! Please, come back out! Talk to me! I don't like seeing you like this.." Her voice cracked and she began to cry as well. "I love you.." She said softly and walked away.

Inside her room, Sae held a framed photo of her and Makoto with their father when they were little. Rubbing the tears away, she silently cried. "What's happening to me..? Have I already failed you both?" That night, Sae went to bed early and had a lucid dream unlike any she'd ever had before.

[09/26 Midnight: Niijima Residence]  
[~ The Whims of Fate ~]

Sae stood face to face with herself, but it wasn't in front of a mirror. She was having an outer body experience, one where she felt the sensations of her other self. When it moved a limb, she felt her own doing the same action. Her actual body was spectral, she could move but there was no feeling in it. Any stimulus she experienced came from her other self. While she literally floated around her outer body, she scrutinized its appearance. Her other self wore an elegant, glossy black evening dress with long gloves to match. It had an open back and split torso area laced in fishnet. On her legs she wore fishnet stockings connected to a garter belt underneath the dress and purple high heels. "Pretty sexy.." She admitted, noting the other features.

What piqued her interest the most wasn't all the tattoos leading to a vicious looking dog on her back. Nor the spiked choker around her neck that matched the dog's collar. It was what her other self held in its hand. A leash, one Sae's eyes trailed along in slow motion. When she saw what, rather more specifically who, was at the end of the leash, she was shocked and horrified. It was Makoto, on all fours and she was completely naked, except for the matching spiked collar attached to the leash. Darting her attention back up at her other self, Sae looked her square in the eyes, which now glowed in a bright yellow. "Who are you?! What are you doing to my sister?! Unleash her right now!" She screamed at her other self in rage.

Looking straight through her, the impostor spoke to someone else. "Alright boys, let's roll the dice to see who gets to fuck this bitch." Sae immediately turned around to see who she was talking to. A crowd of indiscernible, shadowy figures, all wearing masks, approached and surrounded them. Following the pattern they formed, Sae noticed the environment they were in. They stood on a giant roulette wheel of what appeared to be a casino, but she could tell there something was off about it. The sound of dice rolling could be heard through the air and playing cards were raining down from the ceiling. What would have been in the place of slot machines were instead, computer monitors. And what struck her as most odd was the lack of any sort of currency being circulated. Missing was the lifeblood of any casino and what the patrons appeared to be gambling with mortified her.

"Children.." Sae muttered, her mouth agape in shock. All of them were naked and crawling on all fours next to the shadowy figures who held them by their leashes. Every child she could get a decent look at turned out to be someone she knew or had seen somewhere before. The shadows however, had no identifiable features aside from appearing to be obviously male or female adults. "They're bidding on and gambling over children ... What is this place?!" She turned her attention back to her other self for answers. When none came, she looked back down at Makoto again, who to her dismay, had become much younger during her diversion. She was a little girl now, the same age as all the other kids. The same age she was in the picture with their late father. "Makoto! No!" Sae went down and tried to embrace her but her presence had no corporeal form.

"Come on, let's just enjoy the show." Her impostor spoke again, drawing Sae's attention back up to her. To her surprise, she was looking down at Sae now as if speaking to her directly. But her eyes still looked straight through her as before. Sae couldn't tell if she was finally being noticed or if it was the young Makoto the impostor spoke to. Since from her perspective, she was 'kneeling' down to be face to face with her sister as she tried to hug her. Her other self then turned her attention towards the crowd of shadows again. One of the figures had won their dice roll and was entering the inner circle with them. Sae tried to protect Makoto from it but to no avail. The hand it reached out with went through her and picked up Makoto's tiny body. Sae's impostor let go of the leash, allowing the shadow to take her away before giving it an order. "You know what we like, so indulge us well in our vice."

Sae had no idea what the impostor meant by 'our vice' or 'we like' but she had a bad feeling she was being included somehow. The uncertainty of whether or not her other self was aware of her presence put Sae in a momentary existential crisis. "Please, stop this! What do you want from me?! What am I even supposed to do here?! If there's anything you want, just tell me! I don't care about myself, so please, if you can hear me, let my sister go!" Sae screamed at her other self but there was no reaction to her plea. Instead, the impostor merely smiled when the shadow started to rape Makoto. Sae tried to 'run' towards her aid but she couldn't move. She was trapped in 'orbit' around her other self. When she began to slowly reach a hand down to her crotch and rub it, Sae felt the familiar pleasure. It was as if she were doing it to her own body. "No! No! No! NO!!" She yelled, not wanting such stimulation. It violated her in every way imaginable.

When the young Makoto started crying louder, Sae's other self snapped a finger at one of the other shadows. It then brought another leashed child over to her. Adding to Sae's dismay, she realized who the child was, it was Shinya. Her other self took the leash and yanked it hard, pulling Shinya's face between her legs. "Lick it." She ordered him in a cold, intimidating voice. He did so and Sae felt the soft, warm wetness of his tongue on her own phantom loins.

"N-No.. Stop doing that..!" She muttered with bated breath. She was losing her battle with the pleasure. When her impostor placed a hand on the back of Shinya's head to forcefully push his face in deeper, Sae tried in vain to separate them.

"Give in to temptation.." Her other self said seductively as she closed her eyes and rolled her head back. Raising her other hand in the air, she snapped her fingers again and the giant roulette wheel started spinning. Gradually, it went faster and faster. The faster it got, the more Sae felt her will power, which was the only thing she had in the whole ordeal, slipping away. What should have been causing overwhelming dizziness evoked euphoria instead.

In spite of Makoto's suffering, Sae's thoughts were becoming her other self's actions when she willingly spoke in unison with it. "Fuck her harder!" She found herself saying to the shadow raping Makoto. "Lick it faster!" She said to Shinya, who was between 'her' legs. The shadow obeyed her commands and Sae felt herself grab Shinya's throat to squeeze it. Her inevitable orgasm was approaching and she couldn't stop. "Keep your mouth open and stick your tongue out!" Her other self jerked his head back and forth by the neck so that his tongue went in and out. Shinya was choking but Sae ignored it while she concentrated her attention on the shadow raping Makoto. Her sister was crying much harder now and flailing about helplessly. The horrid spectacle before her in combination with the very physical pleasure she was experiencing put Sae in full lust mode. "Yes.." She whispered on the verge of her climax. She looked back down at Shinya, then her other self, who to her surprise, was looking directly at her now for the first time. The impostor narrowed her eyes and spoke once more of her own accord in a vicious, authoritative tone towards Sae.

"Accept your fate."

[09/26 Early Morning: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Alleycat ~]

Sae suddenly awoke in a cold sweat and having an anxiety attack. On top of that, her body was in a state of extreme arousal. The dream had ended without giving her the ultimate satisfaction it lured her to. She was infuriated, terrified and heartbroken all at once. Infuriated because she was violated and toyed with. Terrified because she was so powerless and still enjoyed it. And heartbroken for Shinya, the other children there and most of all, her poor little sister, Makoto. She hated herself for what she did, could not do, and worst of all, felt in her dream. A deluge of raw emotion inundated her with remorse and all she could do to let it out was apologize and silently cry into her pillow. "I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry.. I didn't want that.. That's not what I am.. It isn't WHO I am.." She said to herself and the figurative victims of her mind. Even though she knew it was just a dream, Sae needed a moment to convince herself it was much more of a nightmare than a fantasy.

When she finally resolved most of her cognitive dissonance, she went about her morning routine. She was up earlier than Makoto for once so she made the coffee and checked her schedule. "Oh yeah.. I have a date with Iwai today.. Perfect.." She muttered, thinking of how she was in no condition to be going out with anyone in her current mental state. She didn't want to cancel on him though, not when he earnestly asked her out 'after' she granted him a sexual favor.

Makoto walked in fresh out of bed and greeted her. "Morning Sis.. You're up early.. Are you feeling any better..?" She asked with a yawn. Sae didn't say anything back, she only stared at her sister longingly for a moment before rushing over to embrace her in a hug. "Whoa~! Okay, I guess that's a yes?" Makoto returned the hug and patted Sae on the back. "Do you want me to make you some breakfast? I've got enough time before class." Ironically, Makoto doted on her older sister with motherly affection, which rarely happened.

Sae let go and shook her head. "No thanks. I have a.. meeting with someone today. We'll be having breakfast there."

[09/26 Morning: Yongen-Jaya, Cafe Lablanc]  
[~ What's Going On? ~]

"Nice place you picked." Iwai said to Sae as they walked in through the door. He let her chose where they would go on their date and she chose a coffee shop. They agreed to have breakfast together before his store opened in the morning and she had to go about whatever errands she might be on that day. Lablanc was the one place she knew and liked for the coffee, amongst other reasons.

Sojiro greeted them upon their arrival. "Ah, Niijima-san.. and..?" He trailed off when he couldn't place the unfamiliar man with her.

Iwai waved a hand and introduced himself. "Hey, the name's Iwai, nice to meet ya."

Sojiro nodded in response. "Likewise. So is he your boyfriend, Niijima-san?"

They both sat down at the counter, looking at each other before simultaneously answering him. "N-No, he's / I'm just a friend."

Sojiro laughed out loud, causing Futaba, who'd heard him from upstairs to come down. "Hey, what's so funny?" She asked, before noticing their guests. "Oh, hey Sae-san and.. Iwai-kun?!" She eyed them suspiciously before making the connection. "Ooooo~ ... Does Makoto know?!"

Sae shook her head, a little embarrassed. "No. At least not yet. Don't tell her, okay?"

Futaba shrugged her shoulders dismissively. "Sure."

Sojiro looked at Futaba, then at Iwai and back at Futaba. "You two know each other?" He asked, wondering how his hermit daughter knew such a surly looking older man.

Futaba answered him pertly. "Yeah! He was a huge help to the Phantom Thieves! Without him we would have just been a bunch of gimped scrubs who never saw it coming."

Sojiro sighed and shook his head. "Futaba, what have I told you about using video game language in everyday conversations?"

Iwai butted in to give his two cents. "Yup. Akira made sure you guys stayed well equipped. My store practically owes its lively hood to that guy. So what have you been up to lately?" He asked Futaba.

She made a low kick with her foot and swung her arms back and forth innocently. "Oh, nothing much. The usual. School, helping my dad here run the shop once in a while and working on my website."

Sae got curious and joined the conversation. "Oh yeah, I heard from Makoto that you were working on a website. What kind of site is it? She said you wouldn't tell anyone.."

Futaba pushed up her glasses, causing them to glare over and conceal her eyes. "Well, I guess I could let the Morgana out of the bag now. It's a little known site called.. Personabook! You might have heard of it?" When Sae and Iwai only kept looking at her and showed no sign of recognition, Futaba stomped her foot on the ground in frustration. "OH, COME ON! Seriously? You've never heard of it? It's only the most popular, fastest growing social networking fan fiction site on the internet! It's still in beta but has over a million members already! All kinds of people use it to let the world see the other sides of themselves. A sort of hangout spot for their alter egos to share their fantasies rather than something boring like, you know, their face. Think of it as an archive of our own thoughts and ideas in literature form. Some people think the name is a bad pun though, so they call it AOL for short. Which isn't meant to be a joke but other people laugh at that one even more for some reason."

Sae and Iwai sat blank faced for a moment then curtly replied to her in unison. "Nice / Neat." They continued having conversations with each other about random things until the two were done eating.

When they got ready to leave, Iwai waited until they were outside to say goodbye in his own coy little way. "Guess I'll see you later then?" Sae made a gesture for him to wait by not responding to him. Instead she just stared him in the eyes. "What?" He asked, confused.

"Is that really all you wanted? To just have breakfast with me?" She asked him.

Iwai figured Sae was asking him if he wanted sex or not without saying the words. Turning his head to the side, he rubbed the back of his neck like he always did when he was unsure of something. "I suppose we could go catch a movie or.." He said innocuously but trailed off when she folded her arms across her chest. Realizing his hunch must have been right, he pushed the envelop further. "Okay then.. Your place or mine?"

Appreciating the fact that he finally got to the point, Sae got on the same wavelength. "You don't have to open your store at a certain time, do you?"

[09/26 Daytime: Shibuya, Untouchable]  
[~ Layer Cake ~]

"You know, we could have just gone to a hotel or something." Iwai said as Sae walked ahead of him to the back room of his shop.

"No, this place is perfect." She told him while waiting for Iwai to open the door. When he did, she went in and looked around at his wares. "These ARE all fake, right?" She asked assuredly, referring to the the model guns.

Iwai's face contorted behind her, feeling somewhat insulted. "What? Of course they are. Why are you asking me that now? Don't tell me you only wanted to come here as part of your job." Sae grabbed the most realistic handgun she saw and handed it to him by the barrel. Iwai arched his brow in confusion. "What are you giving me this for?"

Sae turned around before answering him. "I want you to point it at the back of my head." Flabbergasted, Iwai yelled. "Huh?! Why the hell would I do that?!"

"Because I'm asking you to.." While still facing away from him, she paused for a second to undo her pants and let them drop down to the floor. "Fuck my brains out while you hold a gun to my head."

Iwai had only one eyebrow arched now and his eyes locked onto her ass. "O-kay? I don't really get down like that but if that's what you're into, I'll play along." It would be their first time having actual sex and her request caught him off guard. He never thought she would be the kinky type.

"You're the only one I can trust to do this, so be rough about it. Please." Sae pleaded. Iwai unbuckled his pants to let out his dick, which was rock hard as soon as he realized what she was doing. Before he began being of service to her, he made note of Sae's current state. "Not only are you soaking wet already but you look like you've been this way all day." He pushed her panties aside and felt how wet they were. Sae's pussy was dripping and he could smell her potent feminine aroma instantly. "Something tells me you didn't get this way just because of me. What happened?"

Iwai's minuscule attempt to psychoanalyze her by prying was making Sae more frustrated. "Just shut up and fuck me." She demanded of him in a raspy voice. Iwai complied with a smug grin. The gun was pointing at the back of her head but not touching it and his thrusting was mediocre at best. "Can't you do better than that?" Sae asked through gritted teeth to goad him on.

"Alright." He said in his usual, calm voice. He picked up the pace and placed the barrel of the gun against her head now. Then when that wasn't enough, she goaded him on some more.

"Come on! Don't be a wuss!!" Iwai kept his cool but pulled her hair this time and pressed the barrel firmly against her skull with more pressure. "Yess!! That's it!" She said lustfully and returned the favor by pushing back against him. "Harder!! Pull the trigger!!" Yelling at him in ecstasy, Sae was close to orgasm and wanted the most Iwai could give her. He obliged and started pulling the trigger in rapid succession with his hardest thrusting yet. Sae's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she screamed. "OH GOD!!" When she came she felt chills run down her spine from her the back of her head to the depths of her pussy. It convulsed and squeezed his dick before he pulled out to cum on top of her ass and bottom half of her black blazer. Iwai had to clean his mess off her suit for her but he didn't mind, he knew it was worth it. "Thanks." She told him once they caught their breath and had their pants back on.

"Uh, sure. No problem. You wanna tell me what that was all about though? If that's how you get off then damn, lady. You're a piece of work." Iwai wasn't sure if he should be more impressed with her or curious about the sex they just had.

Sae shook her head and looked down at the floor somewhat shamefully. "That's not how I usually want it.. I just felt like it was something part of me deserved.."

Showing his concern but choosing not to pry any further, Iwai tried to console her with a few words of comfort. "Well, alright then. If you ever need 'that' again or anything else feel free to let me know. I got your back in more ways than one y'know."

She turned to him gave Iwai a hug. "Thank you. I really appreciate it. I do have one favor to ask though. Can I.. keep that?" She pointed at the model gun he still held in his hand.

"What? This?" He held it up and studied it, wondering if there was anything particularly special about the model that drew her to it.

"Yeah, I just want something to remember you by.." Sae uncharacteristically twirled her hair with a finger as she blushed.

The gesture made Iwai realize how foolish he was for thinking she wanted it for more practical reasons. "Oh! Okay, sure.." He gave it to her as a gift and saw her out the store, ending their first date.

[09/26 Evening: Niijima Residence]  
[~ My Homie ~]

Sae got home positively glowing so bright she almost made Makoto fall over. "H-Hey. Welcome back. Did something good happen today? You're looking um.. How should I put it?" She tried looking for a word elegant enough to describe her sister without giving away the fact that Sae looked like she just had sex. Getting laid wasn't something either of the two single women living together had the opportunity to do much of. Especially Makoto, the closest she'd ever come to losing her virginity was masturbating to the dick pictures Akira sent her. Sae, realizing how obvious it must look, figured dancing around the subject would only delay the inevitable. Plus she didn't want to risk Makoto finding out from Futaba in case the girl let it slip accidentally on purpose.

"Why yes, something 'good' did happen today actually. If you're up for some girl talk, I'll tell you all about it." Makoto showed her intrigue and Sae gave her a very vanilla summary of her relationship with Iwai. Leaving out the minor details like how it started with a blowjob and their last sexual encounter involved a gun.

"Wow~ So he asked you out with candy and a dozen roses? That's so romantic. He never seemed like that kind of guy to me. Now I'm a little jealous, but I knew you would find someone one day. Or better yet, someone would find you." Makoto said dreamily. She sat with her elbows on the table holding up her face, entranced by Sae's little white lies.

"He's quite a catch. It blew my mind the way he knew how to handle a gun and could still be so sweet." Sae said, looking up at the ceiling and reminiscing over how exhilarating it was for her each time she felt that trigger click. She then turned the conversation on to Makoto. "What about you? Any college studs got your eye over there? ... Or any college girls?" Sae asked, pausing before gently questioning her sister's sexuality. She'd always been curious about it but even more so since last night. Recalling that event dampened Sae's spirits a bit but she didn't want to let it ruin the mood. She was having a rare moment of bonding with her sister.

"N-No, not really. I'm too focused on studying as always. You know me.. haha" Makoto said with nervous laugh. Sae was mildly perturbed at how she dodged the question. It meant she was either being coy or just didn't want to broach that subject with her. The incident with her laptop had Sae basically putting all of her cards on the table while Makoto was still holding back.

("You're not being fair, damnit! Tell me SOMETHING! You already know who I'm dating, what kind of 'porn' you think I like and how I'm perfectly fine with girls. Yet I don't even know if you're into guys, girls OR kids!") Sae mentally disputed Makoto's excuse for privacy as she subconsciously tapped a finger on the table. Growing more impatient with her, she fired a few shots. "Yeah.. I know because I was just like you when I was your age.. Studying all the time.. Not getting laid.. It can be pretty frustrating, but hey, that's what porn is for, right? Seen anything 'good' lately?" Sae stared at her sister daringly.

Makoto's eyes went wide and she turned red like before with embarrassment. "S-Sis..! Come on, let's not go there. Sure, we've got our quirks and similarities as siblings but that's a little too personal."

Sae was letting her annoyance show by becoming fully argumentative now. "Really? Too personal? You've seen what's on my computer but letting me know what floats your boat is too personal? Are you even interested in sex at all or are you asexual? Because right now I feel like I'm still the only grown woman in this house. I thought you would have matured a little after graduating high school."

Makoto took the bait that undermined her maturity. "Agh! I'm not a child anymore! Just because I'm not comfortable with talking about sex with someone who's been like a mother to me and may or may not be a pedophile doesn't make me any less of a woman. But if you really want to know, then yes, I like dicks, okay? Too bad Akira never told you anything about THAT while you were interrogating him!" Makoto got up and stormed off to her room, leaving Sae dumbfounded.

("Pedophile?! Wait, Akira?! What the hell does he have to do with anything?! Don't tell me they.. Aww, shit.. If he's out there getting married to Kawakami then..") Sae came to the conclusion that Makoto must have gotten dumped by Akira. And for an older woman no less, which would have made the subject of maturity an even bigger sore spot for her. ("That would have bruised her ego and most likely be part of the reason she's so averse to sexual topics.") Sae made a half serious mental note to beat Akira's ass if she ever saw him again and went to bed.

[09/27 Midnight: Niijima Residence]  
[~ The Poem of Everyone's Souls ~]

"You're getting closer." Lavenza said. Sae idly stared at her for a moment without responding before the girl spoke again. "You've encountered your other self, have you not?"

Sae folded her arms defiantly. "Bullshit. That wasn't me in the slightest stretch of the imagination."

Lavenza's eyes narrowed with a pouty expression and she turned around to face Igor. "See? I told you she still isn't ready yet. She's just as much of a fool as she was when we first brought her here. Maybe she needs to have a few more nightmares before she finally wakes up." She looked over her shoulder at Sae and glared at her in disgust.

"Patience, Lavenza. She bears the arcana of fool now and she embodies it quite well." Igor said, intentionally provoking a response out of Sae.

"What was that?! I'm a 'fool' now?! Listen, I'll tell you who-" Sae lost her breath mid sentence when she noticed what, or rather who was standing next to her. It was her other self, as she remembered it from her dream. The only difference now being that she wasn't moving or showing any signs of life. She stumbled back and fell down on her backside before yelling in abject terror. "W-What's SHE doing here?!"

Lavenza calmly walked toward them and enlightened her. "SHE is your shadow, Sae. Or at least, she's a conjuration of it that we've made for the purpose of offering you guidance. It can't hurt you." At that, Sae jumped back to her feet and swung a punch at her shadow's face. When her fist went through it she tried a poetic kick to the crotch, which also hit nothing but air.

"This bitch has nothing to do with me! She's a fake! An outrageous impostor! I would NEVER do the things she did!" Sae screamed at her other self when the tears started to fall. Putting aside their differences, Lavenza gave the distraught woman an apology before making the shadow disappear.

"I'm very sorry, Sae. But we needed you to see what you have within yourself. Denial will only make it worse, as you can tell from the state you're in now. You must accept your shadow to awaken a Persona. Not doing so will result in a struggle of will power. You experienced that struggle in your dream when it overwhelmed you. It's a battle you cannot easily win on your own, you'll need help."

Sae became livid and yelled at Lavenza. "I don't care about this Persona shit you keep going on about! What good would come out of me accepting that part of myself?! I can't go around out there raping kids for fun you know! The real world has consequences! And who's going to help me with something like that?! How?! There's nothing I can do about this but deny it.."

Lavenza shook her head and gently countered. "But you don't have to do those things, Sae. If you resist acting on your urges while finding solace in your bon-.. activities with those closest to you, you'll find your strength. You also already have people helping you, you just don't realize it yet." She tried to avoid aggravating Sae any further by using the word bonds.

"My strength for what though? What's the point of all this?" Sae asked, unable to grasp her situation.

Igor replied this time after he'd been silently observing their conversation. "Your ultimate goal is to solve the case. But in order to see the truth you'll need to be looking with both pairs of eyes. Without your shadow, you're only seeing through one. That is not your full potential. I believe there's a saying in your world, in order to catch a thief, you must think like a thief?"

Sae calmed down and mulled over Igor's words. "I see what you mean.. Although I wish it were that simple. I'm not after mere thieves, or Phantom Thieves for that matter.. I'm going after pedophiles this time. Their psychology is much more dangerous one. Who knows what thinking like one of them might get me into." She said with a sigh and placed a palm on her forehead.

Lavenza responded to their analogy. "Act not on impulse in the moment, but rationale over time. As long as you practice self control, you'll be fine. The more you allow the thoughts of your shadow to acclimate in your mind the more harmonious your spirit will be. By combining your ego and alter ego together you'll have a broader sense of self and your fortitude will become greater."

Sae looked at Lavenza with a curious eye. "What are you, a psychiatrist?"

The girl shook her head and lightly smiled. "No, I'm but a humble servant of the Velvet Room. Basically, what I'm trying to say is you can indulge your fantasies without having to make them reality. You can turn your shadow into an ally without it becoming a Persona."

Sae massaged her temples to abate what felt like an oncoming headache. "You're going to have to explain this Persona business to me in better detail because all I've seen so far is my so called shadow."

Lavenza nodded and gave Sae the full run down, including details about how the Phantom Thieves used Personas. "Come to think of it, that does ring a bell. I remember them telling us about that and the Metaverse but none of it made any sense back then. It's a bit clearer now though. So Makoto went through the same process to awaken her own Persona..?"

Lavenza giggled for unknown reasons. "Well, not exactly. Maybe you should ask her about it." Sae was about to ask her more questions when she suddenly woke up.

[09/27 Morning: Niijima Residence]  
[~ To Another World ~]

Sae got out of bed the next morning to find Makoto already gone for class. It wasn't out of the ordinary for her to leave early, but the fact that she didn't leave any coffee for Sae was unusual. "I guess she's still mad at me for last night. Oh well, she'll cool off, then I can talk to her about that stuff." She said to herself, referring to the subject of Personas. Sae made her own coffee and checked her schedule. "Nothing to do today, guess I'll try to make some progress on the case.." She adapted a strictly business mindset for the occasion, when in the past she couldn't look at the evidence analytically without getting aroused. Wonderland's case always made her libido end up being her biggest distraction. Now, however, she was more clear headed than ever. She'd been sexually sated, had a good night's rest, fresh caffeine in her system and a new perspective to examine from. For the first time, Sae opted to look at the evidence in her home office. "Don't worry, Dad, it's for work." She said to the mental image of her ghost father staring over her shoulder. She knew she wasn't about to try to masturbate again so she had no qualms about being in her father's old room. It actually gave her a sense of empowerment in doing so.

"Alright, I've got this." She said, cracking her knuckles and opening up her laptop. She launched the videos and watched them with a keen eye one after another. "Let's see, the second one is fake so there's no point in over thinking that one. The third and fourth are a complete mystery, but I know the first one is legit.." She played the first video again, skimming back and forth through it and studying the woman's behavior. Her idiosyncrasies strongly suggested she was his mother but that wasn't a detail Sae needed to get closer to the source. She then focused her attention on the video's other subject. "That boy, though.. He's really knocked out. I wonder what she gave him.. It has to be an illegal substance." Sae took a moment to think about her dream last night. Every time she dreamt of the Velvet Room, she remembered it in vivid clarity. Taking Igor and Lavenza's advice about looking with both pairs of eyes, she imagined what kind of thoughts her shadow, or a predator might have.

"If I wanted to render someone so unconscious I could anything to them I wanted, how would I do it? Drugs, of course.. And if the drugs I needed were illegal, where would I go to get them?" Sae thought it over as if it were something she was seriously looking into doing. "No ordinary drug dealer is going to have anesthesia that potent, if any at all. It would have to come from someone with medical expertise. Someone most likely operating off the grid." Sae closed her laptop and looked up with a determined expression. "I can think of only one person."

[09/27 Daytime: Yongen-Jaya, Takemi Medical Clinic]  
[~ Butterfly Kiss ~]

Sae entered the empty waiting room and saw no one behind the counter, but she heard talking in the examination room. She held her ear to the door and could faintly make out the conversation on the other side. "....'s right. ...'ll ...ep ..ght thr.... it."

"NICE!"

Sae could distinctly tell the one who raised their voice an octave was a man obviously excited about something. The rest of the conversation was inaudible after that, so she sat down in the waiting room until they were done. When they came out, Sae saw that it was a man and a very young girl, followed by the doctor. The man profusely bowed and thanked her, to which she responded with a simple wink. "Have fun~" She said in a playful manner as they left. Then, upon noticing Sae, she faced her direction and gave Sae her full attention. "Oh! Hello. Sorry, I didn't see you there. Are you here for a check-up?"

Sae was busy trying to connect the dots over what she'd just heard and saw before realizing she was being spoken to. "Huh?! Oh! Um, no, not really. I'm kind of here for someone else. Can we talk in private?"

Takemi agreed and invited her into her office. Sae used the opportunity to think of a way to approach the subject. "So what's the problem? If this is about someone else, shouldn't they be the one coming in?" Takemi said matter of factly. Sae sat on the patient's bed while Takemi leaned her back against the door.

"Well, you see, I'm a friend of a former patient of yours, Akira Kurusu." She used everybody's number one acquaintance to improvise a reason for visiting.

Takemi eyed her up and down. "You look too healthy to be a friend of his."

Sae was taken aback and raised her brow in response. "What does that mean? How could I be too healthy to be his friend?"

Takemi casually fanned herself with her clipboard. "That boy was always buying medicine from me. Enough to treat a small army. It's like he had a fetish for helping people. So anyone who didn't look like they needed help probably wouldn't be in his circle of friends. He's the type that would give you CPR if you so much as coughed or sneezed."

Sae blinked for a second to process what Takemi just said and wondered if she was joking. "Well, that's one way to describe a gigolo, I guess.." She looked up and scratched her cheek with a finger, then continued. "But yeah, the medicine.. I heard from him that you have some very 'effective' products and I was wondering if I could purchase any?"

Takemi reached behind her to lock the door. "So that's what you're here for, huh? Tell me, what's a woman like you 'really' want with my clinic?" She glared at Sae suspiciously.

"No, no! Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm just very.. interested in something I think you might have." Sae said in a slight panic.

"And what might that be?" Takemi fanned herself with her clipboard again.

Sae continued with a more serious look on her face. "An anesthetic sleep aid with aphrodisiac properties.."

Her answer caused Takemi to drop her clipboard in surprise. Fidgeting as she picked it back up, she tried to maintain her professional composure. "S-So what do you need that for?"

Sae responded to her with a devious grin. "The same thing I'm sure your last 'patient' needed it for. That girl didn't look very sick to me but the man she was with seemed awfully grateful to you for some reason. I would be too if you helped me do what I bet he's planning to do to her."

Takemi narrowed her eyes at Sae as one would when recognizing fellowship in another. "You didn't go through the proper channels for that privilege. Where did you hear about this? I know it wasn't Akira."

Sae shook her head no to confirm. "It wasn't him, but I know he was your 'guinea pig' and that you gave him 'special' examinations. I often WONDERED if you might have been using 'that' on him. It would certainly LAND you in a lot of trouble if you did."

Takemi walked over to her desk now and sat down in front of Sae. "What if I did? I needed someone to test my new products on and he volunteered. No harm, no foul, right?" She was quite deliberately trying to check Sae's morals and subversively letting her know that any attempt at blackmail wouldn't work.

"Right." Sae acknowledged her on both regards. They sat idly staring each other in the eyes, wordlessly communicating before Takemi spoke again.

"Alright, but I'm not sure if I can trust you yet, so I'll only give you a mystery sample. It's up to you if 'you' want to trust me by using it."

Sae's brow furrowed with worry. "Oh come on, that's not fair. You're asking me to take a really big risk just to have a little fun."

Takemi fanned herself with her clipboard once more to play it cool. "Big risks come with the territory for the kind of 'fun' you're looking to have. This stuff isn't candy, you can't just hand it out to anyone. That's why we have a screening process."

Sae arched her brow curiously at her use of plural nouns. "We? So it's not just you?"

Takemi responded with a light laugh. "Hahaha.. Of course not. Where do you think I got the funding for all my research and development? Not this clinic, that's for sure. I practically signed a deal with the devil to make Cheshire Cat." When she noticed the puzzled look on Sae's face, she elaborated. "Oh, that's what I call the product you came here looking for. I figured you would have at least heard of its name since you managed to find me. I came up with the formula myself but they were the ones who made it popular."

Sae aimed her gaze down at the floor in thought. "So by they.. you mean Wonderland?" She asked, confirming her suspicions.

"Of course, who else? I've been a fan of their's for years. So when I found out they had an affiliation with the Kirijo Group too, I seized the opportunity to work with them."

[09/27 Evening: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Interrogation Room ~]

Sae rushed back home to postulate on her startling new discovery. "This case goes way deeper than I thought.." She said as she walked in through the door. To her surprise, she found Naoto there waiting for her with Makoto. They greeted her and Naoto gave Sae an apologetic expression for the intrusion. Sae knew there had to be a reason for her unannounced visit but wondered what she might have told Makoto. Their association as colleagues was clear, but if she told her sister anything about the case then she would inevitably get involved. "Makoto, would you excuse us for a moment, please?" Sae said, gesturing for Naoto to follow her into her home office, where they could talk in private. Once there and behind a closed door, Sae cut to the chase. "What have you told her?"

Naoto shook no her head to reassure Sae. "Nothing, only that we're working on a case together. I didn't give her any of the specifics."

Sae sighed and placed a palm on her forehead. "Shit.. I hope she doesn't figure it out."

Naoto's brow arched, unsure of why Sae seemed so worried. "How would she? As long as she hasn't seen anything then.. Oh.." She trailed off when she made the conclusion before finishing her sentence. Naoto could tell by Sae's demeanor that her sister had indeed saw something related to the case. Her eyes wandered around the room and locked onto Sae's laptop, where it had been recently returned to her work desk. "That could be a problem.." She said in an eerily quiet tone before walking over to Sae's laptop and taking out the proprietary flash drive their division used.

Watching Naoto with a twinge of anger, Sae tried to stop her. "What are you doing? Sure, she might have saw something and that's bad, but why are you taking my flash drive?"

Naoto gave Sae a serious look. "Listen to yourself Sae, you just said 'my' flash drive. You're showing possessive tendencies toward this, which is what we were afraid of."

Chagrined, Sae snapped back at her. "What?! That's ridiculous! It was a slip of the tongue. What are you implying? And what did you mean by 'we were afraid of'?"

Naoto put the flash drive in her pocket, noting Sae's reaction when she sternly watched her hand do it. "The reason I came here unannounced was to personally deliver to you some new evidence we acquired and information about a potential break in the case. One that we've been hypothesizing since you and I started working on it together. I can't give you the new evidence now but I can tell you what the break was. It should help you understand why I have to confiscate this flash drive. Please, why don't you have a seat over there?" Naoto gestured Sae toward her work desk as she pulled out one of the client's chairs in the room for herself.


	2. Chapter 2

  
[09/27 Evening: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Interrogation Room ~]

Sae did as Naoto requested and took a seat at her own desk, attentively listening to what her colleague had to say. "What I'm about to tell you probably isn't going to make any sense to you, but bear with me until I finish." Naoto said, waiting for Sae to give her the 'go ahead' nod. When all she did was fold her arms and lean back in her chair, Naoto took that as her sign to commence. "Do you remember what the director said in the briefing video the first time you put the flash drive in your computer? About how no one knows how or why Wonderland makes their subjects do what they do? Well, we still don't know the 'why' behind it but speculation on the 'how' has us considering supernatural methods. More so than conventional bribery or extortion. This is going to sound weird, but we think the videos themselves are, in a matter of speaking, haunted. The fabricated ones in particular. We're looking into the possibility that they're embedded with some kind of code that's based on an unknown algorithm. One that finds psychological exploits in the human brain and manipulates certain types of individuals through them. Meaning, if someone with vulnerabilities in their psyche watches the videos, they're susceptible to having their mind hacked, metaphorically.."

Sae held up a hand to stop Naoto from talking for a moment. "Hold on. Are you trying to tell me they're brainwashing people? Seriously?" She asked, incredulously and with disdain.

Naoto sighed at the interruption and ridicule when she asked for patience, then continued. "No, not exactly. It's a bit more complicated than that. Honestly, I'm not sure how to explain this at all to someone who doesn't have a Persona.." She trailed off, speaking mostly to herself at the end.

Sae's eyes widened at her mentioning of the 'P' word. "A Persona?! What do those things have to do with any of this?!" She yelled.

Naoto was taken aback by the sudden outburst. Sae's familiarity with Personas caught her off guard and she became the more curious one for a moment, garnering her own questions. "Yes.. You know about them? How? When? Where? Who? Was it the Phantom Thieves??"

Sae shook her head in dismiss. "It's a long story. Finish telling me yours first."

Naoto nodded back and continued, slightly more enthused. "Okay. Well if you know about Personas then you must also know about shadows, right? Those are the vulnerabilities in a person's psyche I was talking about. People with shadows are more prone to being manipulated by subliminal suggestions. Especially if it comes in the form of something they have an innate affinity towards. Which in this case would be pedophilia. That encompasses anyone who's -ever- had sexual thoughts or fantasies about children. Period."

Sae, realizing now how it pertained to her, responded defensively against her own wit. "Are you lumping anyone who's ever had an inkling of desire towards a kid into that category? Or just those who've acted on their impulses? Either way, that would be a pretty damn large number of people. What makes you think I might be one of them?"

Naoto shook her head frantically and held up both hands to show she didn't mean any offense. "No, no no! ... We're not trying to accuse you of anything. You see, the only kinds of people who we know for sure don't have shadows are Persona users. And 'I' happen to be one. We're immune to the exploits, whether we've had such thoughts of that nature or not.." She said, glancing off to the side with a subtle blush she was trying to hide.

Sae narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Naoto for the expression and wondered what it meant about her personally. ("So is she into it after all?")

Naoto continued after regaining her composure. "But yeah, Persona users are people who've conquered their shadows. Thus we've 'plugged up the loophole', so to speak. Unfortunately though, that still doesn't give us any idea on how Wonderland can exploit a person's shadow through a video. My theory is they're using some kind of significantly advanced technology in combination with a means to access the other world where shadows reside." Naoto gave the sign she was done explaining herself by waiting for Sae's input on the matter.

Faintly irritated, Sae took her chance to finally speak again by denying Naoto her credence. "Alright. I hate to say this, but all of that sounds like a load of bull to me. Where do you get off on thinking Persona users are that special? So you think Wonderland controls people by exploiting their 'shadows'? Who would have that kind of power? If you think their subjects do the things they do because they're being 'controlled' then that's a little naive. Don't you think it's more likely that maybe, just maybe, they do those things because they actually want to? The average person's mind can be messed up enough on its own without the need of a higher power sullying it, you know. Your theory suggests you believe otherwise ... Anyway, I'm not under the influence of anyone or anything if that's what you guys are so worried about. But I get it, you think that just because I don't have a Persona that I'm somehow more vulnerable to their methods. Well, if that's the excuse you're going with to take me off the case then so be it. Answer me this though, why do you think it's the fabricated videos that trigger the so called 'psychological exploits'?"

Naoto's disposition was tested by Sae's rant but she stayed calm and gave her a minimalist response rather than trying to argue her points. "Because the first time I watched the fake one I told you about before, I felt a sensation very similar to the first time I summoned my Persona. As did the other Persona user we have working on this case ... And you aren't being taken off of it. Like the director said, once you've seen the files you're officially involved and there's no turning back. You do understand what that means, right? So you're only being sidelined for the time being. You'll hear from us again once we know more."

At that, both women agreed their business with each other was over and Naoto left with the flash drive. Once she was gone, Sae paced back and forth in her home office fuming. Her anger arose from several roots. A feeling of humiliation, like she was the inferior one for not having a Persona, and amplified feelings of isolation. The shame she felt when she first met Naoto at the Prosecutor's Office was back with much more intensity. Their antagonizing act of 'repossession' made Sae truly feel like she was 'the pervert' who couldn't be trusted. Worst of all, she felt like a child who'd just had their favorite toy taken away from them. "You can't show me something like that and then take it away..! What the fuck am I supposed to get off to now? Bastards.." She grumbled to herself, restlessly blaming the powers that be for giving her a new fetish.

[09/28 - 10/05]

[10/06 Morning: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Disintegration ~]

A week of boredom, frustration and anxiety passed for Sae. She didn't technically have any work to do. No interests in going out or any peace of mind since the SIU had left her in the dark. Their timing coincided with her own transgressions so perfectly that it made Sae worry her actions were being monitored. Doing her best not to let paranoia set in, she tried to occupy herself with various forms of entertainment. Television, movies, games, she even watched a bit of 'regular' porn when Makoto wasn't around. Nothing could take her mind off the case or make her cum whenever she tried to. The stress was building up and she couldn't rely on Iwai to help her get rid of it. He was out of town on business and thus unavailable. She thought of calling her other alternative, Teddie, but figured he was too much of a 'luxury item' that had to be used sparingly. Since she would have to pay for it, or rather, she preferred to pay for it so their relationship wouldn't become too personal. "Hmph, I haven't fallen so low that I'm going let paying for sex become a habit either.." She thought out loud.

Sae also didn't want to risk being seen with Teddie if she was being monitored. She thought continuously about what she could do to break the tedium when she remembered the 'mystery sample' Takemi had given her several days ago. She was daftly curious about its effects and wanted to try it out on someone but the only person she really had access to was Makoto. And there was no way she would risk using an unknown drug on her sister. For all she knew, Takemi could have given her poison that was made to kill someone. It was unlikely, but not outside of the realm of possibility if the shady doctor wanted to cause trouble for Sae by putting blood on her hands. She knew she could also just take the sample to an evidence lab and have it analyzed. Then have the doctor charged with suspicion of malpractice and criminal activity if it turned out to be something dangerous, but that would take all the 'fun' out of it for her. ("I'm thinking like such a crook right now.") Sae realized her own thoughts were growing more wicked by the day thanks to how wrong the world had made her feel recently. Her mind wandered until it ultimately lead her to a dire choice of options.

"I should probably do 'something' to warrant the way I've been treated. At least then they'll have a real reason to doubt me. Treat me like a pervert. Take me off the case. Or 'sideline' me, as that uppity bitch put it." While Sae plotted a course of action, Makoto came in after she recently woke up.

"Morning.. Sis?" She said, curiously arching her eyebrows at Sae's posture. She was sitting on the sofa apparently lost in deep thought with the TV off. Makoto wasn't accustomed to seeing her sister in such a state. Whichever one of them woke up first would usually make the coffee and turn on the TV, but it was rare for Sae to be up before Makoto. The way she was sitting around and doing nothing emanated an aura of unease. Especially since she'd yet to acknowledge Makoto's presence. "Um.. Sis? Are you okay?" She asked while slowly approaching Sae to place a hand on her shoulder.

Sae's reaction was a chilling one, all she did was blink and glare at Makoto from the side of her eyes. Still sitting in her thinking woman's pose, she responded coldly. "What?"

Makoto quickly withdrew her hand and nervously stepped back. "N-Nothing, you just don't quite seem like yourself today. I was wondering if everything was alright."

"I'm fine. There's something I have to do today and I was just thinking about the best way I should go about doing it." Sae gave her a vague answer before getting up to grab her coat. "I'm going to head out for the day and I'm not sure when I'll be back. It could either be late tonight or tomorrow morning, so if you don't see me later, don't worry." She was out the door before a perplexed Makoto could think of anything else to say.

[10/06 Evening: ???]  
[~ Trick ~]

Sae spent most of the day wandering around the city from one place to another and making sure she wasn't being followed. As a diversion she went back and forth through multiple train stations before finally settling outside an abandoned warehouse building in a remote location. It had few passersby, which meant less potential witnesses, or anyone working for the SIU. Sae checked her phone and saw the text message from her rendezvous contact. ["Almost there! ^^"]

["Great! Did you get the drinks and snacks?"] She texted back.

["Yup!"]

Sae smiled at their reply and thought to herself. ("Like candy from a baby.") Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a lockpick she got from Akira a while back and used it to open a door on side of the building. "Better to not let him see me doing this, wouldn't want to look 'too' suspicious.." After making sure the coast was clear inside and a few more minutes of waiting, she saw her target approaching in the distance. Stepping out, she signaled him over by waving. "Hey, thanks for coming all the way out here and picking up a few things for us. You made sure you weren't followed, right?" She asked him once they were in close enough proximity to each other.

"Of course~! Being discreet is part of my job, y'know. But why are we doing it here instead of going to a hotel like before, Madam Sae?" Teddie asked, tilting his head to the side and looking up at the ominous building with an arched brow.

"I used to do naughty things around this place when I was a little girl, so it has a nostalgia factor for me. You don't mind playing along, do you? You said you'd do anything for me last time." She took a step behind him and put her hands on his shoulders to gently push him in through the door. Once they were inside, she locked it back behind her while Teddie wasn't looking. He was too distracted by the interior. "Let's eat before we start. I'll take those." Sae suggested, pointing an elegant finger at the bag of groceries Teddie held. As soon as he handed it to her, she nodded her head to the side at a ragged mattress on the floor behind him in a corner of the room. "Why don't you wait over there while I fix these up? The least I can do to thank you for agreeing to this is making you a nice sandwich."

"Okay, sure~!" Teddie said pertly with his token innocent smile. He didn't notice for a second the sinister glare in her eyes as she slowly turned away.

("If he were any more naive I could just give it to him directly and say it was a performance enhancement drug. But I can't have this kid 'knowing' I gave him drugs if what she gave me turned out to be something bad. Especially if it wasn't strong enough to kill him..") Sae thought with a cold heart as she went into the other room where there was a counter. She took out Takemi's mystery sample that she crushed into a powder beforehand for such an occasion and poured it into Teddie's drink. She removed the label from her own and drank some of it to make sure she didn't get the two mixed up by accident. Once their food was ready, she went back into the room with Teddie and they ate on the mattress. When he finished his drink Sae got up and stood in front of him with her hands on her hips.

Teddie looked up at her, showing he was already a little drowsy. "What is it, Madam Sae? Are you ready to start?" She only narrowed her eyes at him in a cold stare. She was both observing his reaction to the drug and bracing herself for any potential resistance he might put up if he realized what was happening. After a tense moment of silence between them, she noticed the effects on him were in full swing when Teddie started dozing off. "Wha.. Wud did you..?" He passed out before he could finish his sentence.

Sae adjusted his body on the mattress so that he laid flat on his back. She checked his breathing and his pulse just to be sure and sighed in relief when everything seemed okay. "I'm really sorry about this, but you were the only person I could risk testing it on. Nobody knows of our affiliation and frankly, you're a prostitute. So if something were to happen to you.. Well, it wouldn't be that much of a surprise to anyone, now would it? It's not that I don't care about you, because I do. This is just what you get for letting me do whatever I want, you ridiculously slutty boy. Don't you know how dangerous it is to tempt a girl like that? But you've also got the most resilient body I've ever seen so I was sure if anyone could survive this, it would be you." In a passive manner, she gave her practical reasoning behind her actions to Teddie's unconscious body. Which speaking of, had a raging boner Sae noticed when she felt him up. Pleasantly surprised, she quickly undid his pants to let it out. "Oh my God! This stuff really does work! Takemi, you genius!" She yelled in excitement and promptly took his pants all the way off.

She admired it with her hands and mouth before the thought of stress testing the drug's other effects came to mind. Whispering to herself, Sae placed a hand on Teddie's face to lightly rub it at first. "Let's see how strong the 'sample' she gave me really is though.." Then she gave him a weak slap. Then a harder slap, then another one harder than that. After a few more hits escalating in power, she got to the point where her arm was extended all the way back and came down on his face in brute force. When he showed no signs of waking up, an evil smile formed on Sae's face and she let out a wicked laugh. "Holy shit! This drug is no joke! He'll stay asleep no matter what I do!"

After making sure she didn't have to hold back, Sae got up and started taking off her pants. Once they were off, along with her shoes, socks and panties, she stood over Teddie's face. Her feet were planted on each side of his head and she looked down at him possessively, like a master to a slave. She was already wet enough to drip out onto his face a bit before making a few empty threats just for fun. "I could royally fuck you up right now if I wanted to and there's nobody here to stop me. Nor would there be anyone who knew about this since I called you out directly rather than going through your company. Thanks for trusting me so much. You couldn't have made it any easier to rape you." She said in her most aggressive tone yet.

[10/06 Late Night: ???]  
[~ King, Queen and Slave -another version- ~]

Sae spent hours using and abusing Teddie's body, 'raping' him a total of six times. Six times he ejaculated and his dick never went soft thanks to the potent aphrodisiac substance in the drug. The more times he came, the more her arousal grew and Sae would deliberately make herself even more horny by thinking out loud. "That's right.. I brought me a bitch to this very same room so I could be the one doing the raping this time.." Her words and actions were invoking repressed memories to the surface of her mind. She knew the building they were in and it wasn't chosen at random. It really was from her childhood. Sae had once known a girl a few years older than herself back then who would bring her there to 'play'. Together and with the girl's father. They had a 'game' they played called King, Queen and Slave. The father was the King, the girl was the Queen and Sae was the Slave. She always hated being the Slave but they never let her be anything else. The 'King' would rape the 'Slave' while she was made to serve the 'Queen' orally by eating her out.

It was all they ever did and Sae never understood why the order never changed. She wanted be the Queen at least once. Eventually the girl and her father moved away and she never saw them again. As she got older, Sae realized the fallacy of their 'game' and refused to acknowledge it was abuse. She made herself forget the whole experience, along with their names and their faces, so she could move on with her life. Sae worked hard and focused her energies on becoming a strong woman who dominated in her fields of study. Refusing to 'lose' at whatever game she found herself playing. Unless she wanted to. Because although competitive, part of her still found pleasure in the act of submission. Her determination led her through a prosperous school life and a successful career in adulthood.

However, in the moment she was reliving the traumatic memories of her past from a different point of view. She had the power in her hands now and it felt euphoric to her. The memories that once tormented her with anger and frustration became the fuel for a newfound lust. One that turned her on more than anything. Sae imagined Teddie being the 'King' as she got her revenge on him. "Helpless now, aren't you?" She said to the mental image of her former rapist. She slapped him, choked him, even punched him a little while she continued to rock her hips back a forth. In the midst of grabbing her own breasts to firmly fondle them, Sae almost forgot the fact that she was on top of a friend. She was so immersed in her cathartic illusion that she reached into her purse and pulled out the model gun Iwai had given her. Pressing it against Teddie's forehead, she pulled the trigger multiple times until she came.

The fantasy of raping, beating and ceremoniously snuffing out the ghosts that haunted the place they were in gave birth to a pleasure Sae never expected. It was the polar opposite of when she punished herself and her shadow at the same time with Iwai's help nearly two weeks ago. Content for the time being, she got off of Teddie and glanced over his body to study him. She tried projecting the 'Queen's' face onto his for the next round, where she wanted to get off by sitting on it. But she decided not too because it wouldn't work. Not only would he be unable to lick her, he didn't have the right profile or stature. Teddie was feminine but not feminine enough. Sae needed a girl to do that with for it to really be a turn on. When Teddie suddenly started to wake up, she mumbled in annoyance. "Damn it.."

She was nowhere near satisfied or done with him yet. There were more things she wanted to try out while he slept. Including anally fisting him, since she didn't bring the strap-on she bought at the love hotel they went to on their first date. Had she brought it, she would have used it on him the same way the man raped the girl in one of the evidence videos. That's when she remembered something and thought to herself out loud. "Oh yeah, that was the fake. I wish it weren't.. Maybe I should look into making my own videos. Then I'll know for sure what's real and what's not.."

Teddie fully came to and responded to Sae when she didn't realize she was speaking out loud. "Huh..? What was fake..? What are you talking about, Madam Sae? ... Ohh man, I passed out like a log and don't remember anything. Except this really weird dream I had." He closed his eyes and rubbed his temple with a thumb and index finger, as one would when waking up to a fresh hangover. Although he felt no real discomfort. Sae braced herself, surprised by Teddie. Not just because he heard her, but also from the anticipation of his potential accusations or questions about what she did to him.

Her quick thinking made her preemptively change the subject before he could do either, so she started by complimenting him on his performance. "You were great. I came so hard I passed out too. I only just woke up a few minutes ago, before you. I was comparing the 'real' sex I've had with you to all the 'fake' sex I've had with.. no one in particular. So what was your dream about?"

Teddie shook his head and looked forward in a blank stare, trying to remember it. "I'm not sure. But there was this little girl and an old man with a ridiculously long nose."

Sae's eyes went wide in disbelief. ("No way! The Velvet Room?!") She thought, but chose not to pursue a conversation about 'that' right after sex. Instead, she postponed it for another time. "Hm, sounds interesting.. Maybe you can tell me about it later.." Looking at her watch, Sae signaled it was time for them to leave by getting up to put her pants back on, minus the panties. She tossed them at Teddie and called it a 'tip' when she paid him for his services. "I want you to wear those the next time we meet. I know you're into crossdressing, since you work as a maid and all. Wear something nice to go with them, but not a maid outfit. I'm sure you have other girly clothes in your wardrobe, right?"

Teddie's eyes lit up with an equally perky, bright smile. "Yup~! Sure do! I won't disappoint you, Madam Sae." He graciously bowed to show his appreciation for her patronage as well as the lewd tip. They parted ways and on her way home, Sae thought about how fruitful their encounter was. She was able to knock two birds out with one stone thanks to Takemi's little sample of 'Cheshire Cat'. It gave her an excuse to call up Teddie and get laid without feeling like she was being overindulgent. Since it was the second time she paid for sex in less than a month. The other great thing was how she serendipitously found a convenient way to confront her past while making it feel incredibly good.

With a faint smile and plenty of hop in her stop, Sae made plans for the next day. "I've got to go see the good doctor first thing in the morning tomorrow." She went straight to bed as soon as she got home and fell fast asleep.

[10/07 Midight: Velvet Room]  
[~ The Poem of Everyone's Souls ~]

"What did you do?" Lavenza asked in a serious manner. Sae looked at her, lost as ever by the sudden question.

"What do you mean, what did I do?"

Lavenza marched towards Sae and folded her arms while looking up at her directly in the eyes. "Something has changed. Until now, all of our uninvited guests have been children, courtesy of whatever Wonderland has been doing out there. However, for the first time in ages, we got an adult visitor. One who mentioned you by name. Not only that, he was a Persona user. Surely you know who we're referring to?"

Sae nodded and massaged her temples. "..Teddie, yeah. So he really was here. I was shocked when he told me at at first, but then I remembered what you guys said before about young visitors. So somehow, people under the influence of Cheshire Cat are sent here..?" Sae covered her mouth and stared blankly at the groud. She spoke mostly to herself as she discerned the situation, then it hit her. "Wait, you said he was a Persona user?! No way! Him too?! God! Does everybody around me have one or what?? Why am I stuck with a Shadow then? This is starting to get ridiculous ... Anyway, so what did he say?" Sae gave Lavenza her full attention, as well as a complimentary glance at Igor in case he was going to speak.

Lavenza continued. "It's not ridiculous, it's fate. One day you may find that you'll need a Persona wielder's power to supplement your own. And as much as you hate calling them bonds, that's what they are. They're there for you whether you accept it or not. As for Teddie, he didn't really say anything. He was quite lost and confused. Said he was with you a moment ago and the next thing he knew he was here. We didn't discuss his Persona abilities but we knew he had one."

At that point, Igor finally spoke on the matter of Teddie and Sae's transgressions thereto. "He was an acquaintance of a former guest of ours. A young man akin to the one you know as Akira. We've had dealings with them in the past but that's a story for another time. We've summoned you because we would like to know what you've learned about Wonderland. By what means are they sending people to the Velvet Room? You must have some insight on that now that you've done it to someone yourself. We've obeyed your request to stay out of your personal life, but perhaps you'd be willing to voluntarily share this information with us? As you know, we are merely spectators of your world and have no ulterior motives that would be detrimental to you in it. Our goals are aligned and there's nothing more private than what happens in your own dreams, right?"

He gracefully beseeched her and Sae carefully considered telling them everything, but there were some things she was still too ashamed to admit. Even in a dream, she couldn't allow herself to be persuaded to bare it all by anyone. For a moment she only stared at them as they stared back at her, waiting for answers. "Listen, I'm not going to be your agent, okay? I'll tell you what I 'think' I know but it's not much. Wonderland uses a drug called Cheshire Cat. How it sends people here, or why, I don't know. I experimented with it on Teddie and I had no idea it was going to do that. As for how I got my hands on the drug, it was mostly thanks to the advice you gave me. I sought out the truth with 'both pairs of eyes'. So I guess you could say my 'Shadow' led me to a source. Then my 'other self' came up with an idea of how to use that source. You know, to make progress on the case. Those were 'her' thoughts, not mine. So you guys -might- be getting a few more unexpected visitors if my 'Shadow' has anything to say about it, sorry. You made your bed and now you have to lie in it." She couldn't resist the opportunity to get a little cheeky with them while also trying to dodge the blame.

Sae then turned around and pointed at the giant bed in the room. Subtly letting them know that if they didn't like the company she'd be sending them in the future, they could take refuge up there. They both looked up at the bed and Lavenza responded. "But the Velvet Room is different for each person, remember? This version is unique to you. Besides, it's not really a problem that you send them here, just be careful. You wouldn't want us spilling your dirty little secrets to anyone, now would you?" Sae turned back around to face Lavenza, giving her the deadly stare of suspicion. Before she could confirm the girl was making a veiled threat, Sae woke up.

[10/07 Morning: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Beneath the Mask ~]

"Dammit.." Sae muttered the instant she opened her eyes. She rubbed them with her thumb and index finger as she slowly got out of bed. Groggy from the long night and a short sleep session, she continued to mumble in protest as she went about her morning routine. "That crafty little.. whatever she is. Forget her and her nosy master. I've got a cat to chase today.. For the sake of the case and my own curiosity.." She let out a yawn and her thought pattern shifted to another topic. "Not to mention, I should really get around to asking Makoto about Personas. First she has one, then Naoto and now Teddie. Who's next? Iwai? ... Yeah right, I bet he's probably too old for that. I wonder if Takemi knows about the metaphysical side effects of her drug? How would I even ask her about that? 'Hey, did you know your Cheshire Cat takes people to the Velvet Room? What's that? Oh, it's just a little place between dream and reality.' Being a doctor, she would probably laugh and say such a thing could only be a hallucination. It might be better to not bring it up at all if I don't want her to think I'm crazy." Once Sae finished preparing herself for the day, she headed out for Takemi's clinic as planned.

[10/07 Morning: Yongen-Jaya, Takemi Medical Clinic]  
[~ Butterfly Kiss ~]

Sae walked in to find Takemi sitting behind her counter. She was attentively looking over some paper work but fortunately didn't have any visitors or patients at the time. When she finished reading she looked up at Sae and greeted her. "Oh, Niijima-san, welcome back." Being addressed by name took Sae aback a bit. She deliberately refrained from formally introducing herself last time to avoid arousing suspicion in case Takemi knew who she was. Knowing it wouldn't have been hard for her to find that out anyway, Sae didn't really worry about it.

"Hi. So I take it you looked me up?" She asked casually.

Takemi replied assertively. "Of course, Ms. Star Prosecutor turned Ace Attorney. Who ever would have thought someone like you would be -into- something like ... this?" She made a gesture of slowly reaching into a drawer behind the counter and, to Sae's shock and dismay, pulling out a very familiar looking flash drive.

"W-Where did you get that?! Listen, I'm not here to-!" Sae panicked and tried to explain herself before Takemi interrupted her by holding up a finger with her other hand.

"Ah-ah-ah~! Relax. You aren't the only one in your line of work who's shown interest in our proclivities. I have my sources, and if you want to be one of them, step into my office and let's talk." Sae merely nodded and went into the examination room ahead of her. Inside, Takemi told Sae from behind the curtain to lock the door and have a seat on the bed and wait for her. A few seconds later, she came in from the room behind the curtain that connected her office to the front counter. In her hands, she held two distinct pharmaceutical bottles, a red one and a blue one, with each containing pills. She sat down in the chair at her desk across from Sae like she always did with patients and began her analysis. "Alright, since you're back here without a warrant or any accompanying police officers, I take it you tried the sample I gave you and it was a success. You had your fun and now you want more, am I right?"

Sae nodded to confirm and Takemi continued. "Well, I hate to sound like a cliche drug dealer, but only the first time is free. Normally I would charge a premium for this but you being who you are, that's not going to cut it. You're still a big risk and I need to know I can trust you first."

Sae arched her brow, feeling a bit worried and concerned. "So what do I have to do for you to trust me? I didn't come here just for your drugs, I also came as a fellow woman seeking a friend. We share the same interests and I would hate for my law enforcement background to get in the way of that. Don't we both want the same thing?" There was a brief moment of silence as both women looked into each other's eyes.

Takemi broke the silence first by speaking again. "We'll see about that ... So you came here to get more of this." She held up the blue bottle in one hand. "Cheshire Cat ... But to prove your desire isn't tentative at best, I want you to help me perfect this." She then held up the red bottle in her other hand. "It's a new product I'm working on. One that keeps them awake but they don't remember anything afterwards. The window of opportunity with this is two to four hours immediately after consumption, depending on the dosage. When it wears off, the person blacks out for a moment then comes back to with whatever memory they had of events prior to consumption."

Sae was astonished at the prospect of such a drug. "How in the world..? That's crazy! I know you're a brilliant doctor and all but you can't control someone's brain like that with drugs. Put them to sleep? Yeah. Get them horny? Definitely. Make them forget things? No way. You can manipulate the body's physiological reactions but you can't reverse the cognitive processes of the mind ... Besides, as much as I'd like to take someone wide awake, you can't expect me to go out there and actually do it. I'm not going to risk my hide on that stuff and hope it works."

Takemi responded with a confident smile. "Of course you won't. You don't have the balls for that. Plus, how would I know you really did anything at all? I would need to be there so I can watch. That's why we're going to use it together on someone special. That's how you'll prove to me I can trust you. By showing me how serious you are in person."

Sae accepted Takemi's terms with a sigh. "Okay, fine. If that's what it takes, I'll do it. Whatever, just know that I am serious. So who, how and where are we going to..?" She trailed off when Takemi handed her a slip of paper with an address written on it.

"Meet me there tonight. It's where I have an appointment after closing shop."

Sae studied the address and nodded. Then right at that moment, they heard Takemi's first customers for the day entering the clinic from the lobby. "Guess that's my queue to get going then. I'll see you tonight." Takemi looked up at her as Sae stood off the bed to leave and nodded back without saying another word.

[10/07 Daytime: Banging Big Burgers]  
[~ What's Going On? ~]

Sae figured she would get something to eat before her big night with Takemi and decided on the newly rebranded Big Bang Burger, Banging Big Burgers. Under Haru Okumura's new management, they redesigned everything and launched a new menu. "I'll have the Twerk Special with extra sauce, please." She ordered her food at the counter. When she got it and went to sit down at one of the tables, she saw Ryuji talking to an employee. He seemed to be giving them instructions a few octaves higher than were probably necessary. She couldn't make out what he was saying but clearly heard every other word he said. It was 'shit' this or 'shit' that and it made her grimace, almost losing her appetite. She was curious about why he was doing it with such pride though. That's when she remembered what Makoto told her about him dropping out of school to work there. His girlfriend, Haru, gave him a manager position and he seemed to be enjoying it quite a bit. ("Who needs an education when you've got a rich girlfriend, right?") Sae thought and scoffed.

A few minutes later, the young heiress in question entered the building. Ryuji greeted her as she walked over to them. The employee Ryuji had been talking to bowed to her and went back behind the counter. When Haru and Ryuji went into the manager's office together, the thought of what they might be doing inside was enough to make Sae lose the rest of her appetite. ("Hope they're not going in there to fuck..") She finished her meal anyway, trying not to imagine it.

[10/07 Evening: Unknown Residence]  
[~ Disintegration ~]

Sae arrived at the address on the paper and observed the house. While it looked like an ordinary two story home, it still gave her ominous vibes. She figured the main reason for that was because she had no idea what she was getting herself into. But it also didn't help that the house was surrounded by a tall, solid brick wall. Such a barrier would make it difficult for any trespassers trying to get in or captives trying to get out. "This place is definitely secure.." She said to herself and rang the doorbell at the gate.

["Yes?"] Takemi's voice answered on the other end.

"It's me." Sae said simply and heard the clicking sound of the gate unlocking. It was her signal to enter and she did so nervously before rushing to the front door. She feared such a residence would likely have guard dogs, despite there being no sign or warnings of any. To her relief, the front door was already unlocked when she turned the knob. She got inside the house feeling apprehensive about the intrusion and her heart was already racing. She didn't know who lived there and really hoped the place didn't belong to some kind of crime lord.

When Takemi came in from the kitchen area to greet her, the first thing Sae noticed was her outfit. It wasn't the black dress with a red belt she usually wore under her lab coat at the clinic. Sae gathered Takami probably would wear something other than her work clothes for the occasion. But she never expected her outfit to be so gothic. She wore a blue dress that had a spiderweb pattern on it and black leggings with rips all over them. "Nice outfit.. Who's house is this?" Sae asked, both curious and concerned.

Takemi smiled at the compliment. "Thanks. You don't have to worry about the owners, I'm really good friends with them. They even let me have a key. And they're not here right now so it's just us and.." She trailed off, turning her head to look down over her shoulder at the house's only other occupant. It was a small, very young girl who came in from the kitchen around the wall behind them. The girl stood next to Takemi, sipping her drink and innocently looking up at Sae. She figured the girl couldn't have been much older than four or five. "Our cute wittle subject." Takemi finished her sentence as she placed a hand on the girl's head, gently rubbing it through her hair.

"Aunty Taki, who's this?" The girl asked. Sae would have introduced herself but she was stuck in a daze with her mouth hanging open.

"This is Aunty's friend." Takemi vaguely answered. She did so while keeping eye contact with Sae and shaking her head no. Moving her mouth without speaking, Sae could read Takemi's lips and understood what she was trying to say. Which was not to tell the girl her name. Sae nodded to let Takemi know she got the message. It was a necessary precaution in case the girl tried to tattletale on them later. If she knew Sae's name that would have made it easier to expose her. Takemi stopped rubbing the girl's head and spoke to her. "Aunty has to talk to her friend now, so you go upstairs and play in your room, okay?"

"Okay~!" The girl eagerly yelped and left the two women alone.

Sae watched her go and then slowly, dramatically drew her attention back down to Takemi in shock. "Her..?! She's your..! Our..?! Really..?!" She silently contested while sporadically moving her arms around to show her confusion and disbelief. With both hands, Sae repeatedly pointed fingers at the ceiling, where the girl could be heard running on the second floor, at Takemi, who stood expressionless, and at herself.

Realizing how conflicted Sae was feeling, Takemi questioned her limits. "Yes. Is she too young for you?"

Sae stomped a foot and balled up her fists at her sides. "Of course!"

Takemi sighed and looked up at the ceiling as well. "I should have known you were all talk. And here I thought you wanted to join us ... to join me." She said, showing her disappointment and a bit of exaggerated hurt from being rejected. Sae saw the underlying sentiment and thought it over for a moment, weighing her options. She really did want to be friends Takemi and have her as a supplier. The shady doctor was someone she knew she could confide in and rely on to keep a dark secret. Which wasn't something Sae wanted to throw away over a minor dissension. And it was 'minor' since she knew they were both pedophiles. With only minor differences in their age preferences. Alternatively, she knew she could also use Takemi as a real source on the Wonderland case.

Being their doctor, she was undoubtedly a well of knowledge on information about them. Sae decided to go with the flow, figuring in the best case scenario, 'she' wouldn't have to do anything. She could just watch Takemi do all the dirty work and maybe even enjoy the show. To a lesser extent, her sense of duty reminded her in a twisted way that crimes needed witnesses in order to face justice after all. That would be her excuse in court if things went south. "Alright ... I'm in. I've come this far, I'm not going to back out now. Let's go." Sae said, looking up the stairs and feigning the gesture of determination.

Takemi arched her brow in worry because she could tell Sae's change in attitude wasn't genuine. It was clearly forced but she took it at face value. "Are you sure? It's only fair that I warn you, this is going to get ugly. And I'm not just saying that to be intimidating. It's a valid part of the development process. The best way to stress test the drug is by putting the subject through a traumatic experience. After the two to four hour window closes, that's when we check the results via their responses to certain questions and specific stimuli. I know that sounds sadistic, but there's a reason behind it."

"There is?" Sae asked as she aimed her view back down at Takemi. She was looking for any sort of justification that warranted what they were about to do. And what she needed most was to hear it from anyone other than herself. Takemi tilted her head to the side and raised a forearm in the air with an upturned palm. A gesture she normally made when giving explanations.

"Yes, let me give you an analogy. Imagine leaving a cookie jar on the table for a kid to plunder, which of course they will because that's what kids do. If you ask them whether or not they stuck their hands in it, they're going to lie and say no, right? But if you found a way to make them afraid of the cookie jar, like say for example, by putting bugs in it, there's no way they can hide their fear of said jar. Reactions tell us more than words do. That's why the tests for this drug have to be done in such a way. Otherwise we won't really know if they're lying to us by pretending they don't remember anything." Takemi paused for a moment to let it sink in and Sae only stared at her wide eyed, blinking a few times from being unsure of what to say.

Takemi shook her head and continued. "So yeah, now that I've told you all that, this really is your last chance to back out. I'll understand if you're not ready to go that deep down the rabbit hole yet. You'll get another opportunity later with fairer terms to prove yourself then. However, if you stay here now and try to bail on me after it starts.." She paused to ball up a fist and narrow her eyes at Sae. It was a demonstration of anger to show how much that would piss her off. "I don't ever want to see your face at my clinic again." The mild threat from a capable woman made Sae consider the possible consequences. Shady doctors knew of ways to kill people stealthier than assassins did with knives and guns. She understood perfectly well that Takemi must really mean business when she's in the zone. And that it wouldn't be a very good idea to ruin the mood if she was.

In the back of Sae's mind, there was a tiny voice screaming at her to get out of there. That she was at a point of no return. She knew without a doubt that if she went through with this, it meant she wasn't being herself anymore. Any pretense of doing it for the case was mostly bull and her Shadow would be the id on the job. If there was an angel on her shoulder, it would have been telling her this was wrong. While a devil would have had the advantage of a threefold assault on her better judgment, using deadly sin logic. ("Doubt (Apathy): How bad can it be?") She thought there was no way Takemi could be so wicked and this was all a bluff to test her resolve. ("Curiosity (Gluttony): This is going to be good.") She really wanted to see what Takemi was going to do if she turned out to be the real deal. ("Desire (Lust): Too hard to resist.") Despite her inner turmoil, Sae was excited at the prospect of finally being able to do something seriously taboo.

At the end of all her mental gymnastics, Sae saw her complacency as merely helping out a new friend. A very resourceful friend who could help her get away with anything right now and in the future. Her rational side was facing a losing battle and once it was over, Sae accepted Takemi's ultimatum. "Understood. So what's her name anyway?"

Takemi shook her head. "It's better if you don't know. Makes it easier on your conscience. Think of her as the test subject and nothing more." Sae shrugged and they went upstairs with Takemi leading the way.

[10/07 Evening: Unknown Residence]  
[~ High Pressure ~]

They entered the girl's room and both women sat down their bags. In Sae's bag she kept her model gun she got from Iwai for protection. She doubted anyone would be able to tell it wasn't real if she ever needed to use it. In Takemi's bag, she kept a large, double-ended black dildo. When she pulled it out, Sae watched her wide eyed as Takemi licked one end of it. Then she reached down between her legs to hike up her dress and rip a hole in her leggings. ("Didn't even bother wearing panties under those, huh?") She thought when Takemi shoved the wet end of it inside herself with ease. Upon closer inspection, Sae noticed under her pubic hairs that Takemi had a very large clitoris. "Wow.. That's pretty big.. And I don't mean the toy.."

Takemi looked down at her own mound and pulled it up with both hands to make her clit stick out. "What, my clit? Yeah, thanks to baby I was born with a naturally high sex drive. But it's bigger than most women's because I actually made my own enhancement drug to grow it an extra inch ... I like to fuck them with it sometimes." She said with a smug grin.

"...Well, I guess explains why you're so wet already." Sae said while looking at it with an arched eyebrow. Takemi's cadence shifted in a manner Sae wasn't expecting when the lust in her voice came out like a blowing horn.

"Hell Yeah~! Nothing gets me off more than little girls. They're so cute and their cunnies are so small they make the perfect fit for my clit. But that's not why we're here today. We're here to use one of these, precisely because it -doesn't- fit. Their tightness gives the kind of feedback you don't get from another woman when using one of these. It's quite different, but not necessarily better, since they don't hump back. Still.. it's not adult pussy and that's the best part. And it's especially good if you do them rough~!"

Sae couldn't believe the words coming out of Takemi's mouth, which was actually drooling. Her gentle, calm and collected demeanor from earlier was gone. In its place appeared an insatiable nymphomaniac. The dramatic change in her personality happened so fast Sae was left dumbfounded. ("How did she get so worked up so fast?! Is she on some kind of drug?") She wondered if Takemi was under the influence of a self administered aphrodisiac. It wouldn't have been out of the question, given the circumstances. ("Yeah.. Maybe she's not so hardcore after all. Maybe she had to take something to psych herself up. Not that that would it excusable. She still knows exactly what she's doing.") In her mind, Sae tried to guesstimate what was making Takemi so horny. The woman had given her the impression that such things were routine for her and that this would be done in a more methodical, professional manner at the very least.

"..Hold her down for me.." Takemi said in a low, raspy voice. She stood with her legs parted, cupping a breast in one hand and stroking the dildo with the other. Sae did as she was told in a way so as to not alarm the girl. She gently placed her hands on her shoulders from behind. Facing Takemi, they stood beside the girl's bed, where she was initially playing before they came in. Takemi approached, looking down at her with a sinister glare the girl knew not the meaning of. "Do you know what this is?" She asked her, drawing the girl's attention to the dildo.

She looked at it curiously before answering. "A big worm?"

Takemi scoffed a bit and looked at Sae. "She says it's a big worm." She repeated, giving Sae a slight smile with knowing nod. "And where do you think it's touching me?" She asked the girl while maintaining eye contact with Sae.

"Your butt!" The girl yelled out with a giggle.

"She thinks it's a big worm that's touching my butt." Takemi affirmed with Sae, who was trying to steady her shaking hands on the girl's shoulders. Takemi noticed Sae's unease and tried to reassure her everything was alright. "I already gave her the drug, it was in her drink she had earlier. We've got four hours to do whatever want, so relax. It'll be okay, I promise."

Sae wasn't sure if she was more afraid for the girl's sake or for herself. "You've done this before, right?"

"This will be the first time I've done it with another woman in the room, which is why I'm glad you're here. I've fucked girls her age before and even younger." Takemi answered and started pushing the tip of the dildo against the girl's mouth in complete disregard. When she tried to avoid it, Takemi reached down with the hand that was cupping her breast to grab her head by the hair and keep it in place.

"Stop!" The girl cried as Takemi continued to ignore her.

"I meant have you done it with -this- girl in particular before?" Sae clarified, darting her eyes back and forth from Takemi's face to what her hand was doing.

"No, not exactly. I've made her eat me out before but haven't fucked her with this yet." She replied in an eerily disconcerting lack of emotion.

"So you're about to take her virginity..?" Sae asked piteously.

Takemi contorted her face to the side as if she couldn't believe that's what Sae was worried about. "Do you really think she could still be one in this house? Of course someone popped her cherry before me. Probably her father, but I'm not sure." She let go of the girl's hair and stepped back to pick her up, making Sae move out of the way. "Enough questions, if you're that worried about her then let's just get this over with." Takemi said and sat the girl on her bed. She pushed her down so that she laid on her back. Standing off the edge of the bed, she propped her left leg on it over the girl's body, assuming a tribadism position. Aiming the tip of the dildo at her entrance, she steadily pushed it into her vagina. As the girl started to cry, Takemi arched her head back and closed her eyes. "Mmmm ... Almost there, just a little more ... Ahh~" She said silently with a moan before giving one quick, hard thrust at the end to lodge it in.

"Alright, watch this!" Takemi said to Sae and started rocking her hips around in circles, up and down, then in and out. Sae watched the dildo go in and out of Takemi's pussy while it mostly stayed still inside the girl's. It was starting to shimmer from her juices the more her pussy engulfed it. After doing that for a while, she changed things up by grabbing the girl's ankles and lifting her up by the legs. Sae noticed the difference it made right away. The dildo was going in and out of the girl while mostly staying still inside Takemi. The action made the girl scream and cry louder due to how she was being violently penetrated. "How do you like Mama's cock, sweety? Does it feel good? Or does it hurt?" Takemi mockingly asked the girl, who was too hysterical to answer. She then licked her lips and changed her pattern again by clenching and relaxing her kegel muscles while moving.

The dildo either pushed into the girl when Takemi squeezed or pulled out of her when she relaxed. The small vagina had a naturally tight grip but Takemi's pussy could make a firmer one when she wanted it to. "A-Aunty! ... Stop! ... The worm ... it hurts!" The girl panted between thrusts.

"It's not a worm and I'm not your Aunty! Call me Mama!! Do it!! Tell Mama you like her cock!!" Takemi yelled at her then grinded harder.

"I like! ... Mama's ... cock!" The girl struggled to cry out.

"YES!! That's it!! ANGH!!" Takemi exclaimed in ecstasy while pursed her lips. She arched her head back and closed her eyes again when she started to cum. Once her orgasm washed over her, Takemi came to a slow and gradual halt. Afterwards, she finally pulled it out by taking her leg off the bed and standing on both feet beside it. Then drawing her attention to Sae, she questioned her inactions thus far. "Well? Are you not going to do anything? Either with her or by yourself?" She put two fingers together and made a 'diddle' gesture over her own crotch to simulate masturbation. When Sae didn't answer, Takemi prodded her further. "You might as well do something, right? ... Take off your pants, I want to see if you're wet at least."

Sae slid her pants off as requested but left her panties on. Takemi kneeled down so that she was eye level with her crotch and felt it with her fingers, then moved her panties aside to massage the labia. It sent chills up Sae's spine and her eyes rolled into the back of her head for a moment. Takemi's touch could have made her faint if she kept going. "Ah, okay, good. You better not be trying to act shy after what I just showed you though. I don't let many people see that side of me."

Sae shook her head. "No, I'm just really nervous. I've never done anything like this before."

Takemi stood back up and licked her fingers that were moist with Sae's secretions. "Well that's understandable. I was the same way. It was hard for me at first when I had to watch the volunteers rape our test subjects, but I eventually got desensitized to it. Then ultimately, I found myself participating.. and enjoying it. Now I can only say it's the best way to get off, you should try it. A bit of good, hard sexual violence does wonders for the mind and body when you're stressed out. But I'll give you some more time to adjust. Keep watching me and let's see if those pesky inhibitions of yours don't go away." After giving Sae a temporary pass, Takemi focused her attention back on the girl. "Meanwhile, I'm going to fuck her again and then it'll be your turn."

[10/07 Late Night: Unknown Residence]  
[~ Erosion ~]

At some point, Sae couldn't bear to watch up close anymore and moved a few feet away from them. She stood behind Takemi in the center of the room, trying to divert her sights elsewhere by observing all the childish amenities scattered about. Despite her best efforts, her eyes kept locking on to Takemi's back and her gyrating ass. The girl's little legs protruding out from the other side of her looked like they could have belonged to a lifeless doll. One Takemi was using to masturbate with, if not for the girl's wailing. From her outfit that clashed with the surroundings, to the size difference between their bodies, Takemi's feminine form was reminiscent of a spider devouring its prey. ("Maybe that's why she wears a dress with a web on it.") Sae thought and shook her head in shame. Of all the kinds of porn she'd seen in her life, there was never anything remotely close to what she was witnessing. A woman raping a girl was rare, but for one to do so so ruthlessly was virtually non-existent. Even the evidence video on the flash drive looked like two consenting adults by comparison.

When Takemi was finally done, she laid on the bed and rested on her elbows next to the girl. "Hahh ... Alright, that's enough for me tonight. You ready to do her now or what? You can use this if you want." She said, flopping the dildo that was still inside her.

Sae stood frozen, unable to take her eyes away from the girl's gaping hole that Takemi stretched out. She noticed a few trickles of blood and became more worried. "What about her wounds? I think you might have overdone it, she's had enough already.."

Takemi gave a quick, unconcerned glance at the girl's orifice then said with a wink. "Don't worry, I'm a doctor. She'll be fine."

"How can you be a doctor and act so cruel? You're supposed to show empathy, especially towards a child. You were being gentle with her earlier and then ... You did a complete one-eighty on her as soon as we got in this room." Sae said, looking at the girl sympathetically.

Takemi sighed and rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Look, it's not as if I don't 'care' about her, because I do. I just don't always have to if you know what I mean. Once I get turned all the way on, I don't hold back if there's no need to. Which there isn't in this case because she's not going to remember any of this. Effectively swapping out personalities is a talent I acquired over time during the R&D phases of my drugs."

Sae arched her brow in concern. "So in other words, you've been desensitized so much that you learned how to detach yourself completely. I don't really think I can do that.. Not on -your- level."

Takemi held up a hand in a gesture that said 'let me stop you right there' and continued. "You're right. I'm way passed the point of where you are now. And I might have had to snort a 'tiny' bit of coke for the adrenaline rush. But that's only because you don't get those often once you've been where I've been. I can tell you're still having second thoughts about this, but it's too late now. You're an accomplice. By not trying to stop me, you've shown your tacit approval." Sae acquiesced defeat by tilting her head down and looking to the side in shame. Seeing the rest of her resistance crumble, Takemi made her final push. "Take your panties off and come over here."

Sae looked back up at her in surprise. "What?"

Takemi beckoned her with a 'come hither' motion via her finger. "I said come here. Take those soaking wet panties off and lie your back on the bed. We're going to get you off." Sae obeyed without protest, thinking her new partner in crime was about to pleasure her herself. She took Takemi's place on the bed next to the girl and instinctively spread her legs in anticipation of what was to come. But to her shock, Takemi grabbed the girl by the arms, pulled her off the bed and then shoved her face between Sae's legs. Gripping her by the hair, she spoke in a deep, authoritative voice. "Lick it."

"No! I don't want to!" The girl tried pushing herself away in protest.

Takemi yanked her head back and pressed the dildo up against her cheek. "Do you want Mama to fuck you again with her cock?" The girl responded by shaking her head no and Takemi let her go. "Didn't think so. Now do it." The girl obeyed and started inexpertly lapping at Sae's mound. She was undeniably aroused by the girl's 'technique' but it was nowhere near enough to make her cum. The thought of making her stop came to mind but Sae knew that would upset Takemi. "Not very good yet, is she? That's because she's going off of muscle memory. She hasn't actually learned how to properly eat pussy from all the times I made her lick mine. Since you know, I made sure she wouldn't -remember- any of it.. Now then, while she's doing that, let's talk. We'll get you in the mood and up to speed at the same time."

Takemi sat on the bed next to Sae and finally pulled the dildo out of herself to set it aside. Giving one proud look at the girl between Sae's legs, she continued. "R&D on the the drug is mostly complete but it still needs a little more stress testing before I can put it on the black market. My plan is to sell it for twice the price of Chesire Cat. That's why I really need to make sure it works first. Which is where you come in. You're going to help me make this really bad for her. I've done my part so now I need you to do something, anything. Role play a little. Make her call you mommy of whatever. That's what turns me on."

Sae complied with Takemi's suggestion and placed a hand on the back of the girls head to push her tongue in deeper. "Serve your Queen by moving your tongue around inside me more. Do it ... Slave!"

Takemi's reaction to her words showed she was pleasantly surprised. "So that's your kink huh? Not bad, I'm more of an incest slut myself. Which is probably why its a good thing I don't have kids. Because if I did, hoo boy would I be a bad mother. I was already into it, but I developed a fetish over time through my profession. Dealing with so many parents and their kids on a daily basis meant constant exposure. It was mostly doing the physical exams in front of them that really got to me. You wouldn't believe how obviously turned on some parents were by watching. Made me think about what they might be doing at home. I'd go home myself at night and look up so much incest porn. All of it was clearly staged but I liked imagining it was people I knew ... Then one day I found out about Wonderland."

She gazed up at the ceiling longingly with a sense of nostalgia. "That's how I met this girl's parents. They were clients of mine who happened to be members. We really hit it off and they showed me a lot. Introduced me to other members and taught me about the group's history." She paused for a moment to check if Sae was still paying attention or lost in her own little world of pleasure. Her body language said she was 'feeling it' but her eyes said she was listening, so Takemi continued. "Before they started using Cheshire Cat to avoid petty inconveniences like testimonies or scarring the child for life, this was how old school Wonderland use to roll. Her parents were part of that era. The community was much smaller and more close-knit back then. Until one day when their numbers nearly doubled overnight after a new leadership took over. Most of our veterans enjoy what you might call 'hard play' because of how force played a factor in the old ways. But many of the new members were softies who didn't like that. It was a real big mess. The vets wanted to see more hardcore rape while the new members tried to put a stop to that."

Takemi paused to take a deep breath before getting to the next part. "In the end, the group had gotten too big for us to sustain the old ways and people were getting caught. One side was ratting out the other and arrests were being made left and right. So as a result of all the infighting, nobody produced any new videos for a while. After looking into it, I found out who the new leader was. They turned out to be someone from the Kirijo Group, my former employer. I got in touch and we discussed a way to resolve the cock blocking civil war. And that's when I came up with Cheshire Cat. It's a modified version of another drug I formulated for the Kirijo Group before leaving their employment. They used the original in a project called 'Strega' but I never really found out what that was about. I was only signed on with them as a contractor for my pharmaceutical aptitude."

To show how proud she was of her craft, Takemi held a hand up in the air to admire her own, polished fingernails. "When I left, I took the research materials that were meant for the next phase of the project with me before they canned it. That's how I got the funding for R&D on Cheshire Cat. The Kirijo Group basically gave me a scholarship and recommendation for a lead position in Wonderland without ever knowing it. Anyway, with Cheshire Cat, Wonderland was finally able to establish a common ground within itself and that became the standard practice. Every new video in the future had to use it. But unfortunately, or rather fortunately for me, the vets weren't entirely satisfied with that. And the new members were eventually getting bored as well. Somnophilia can only get you off for so long until you get tired of it. So, like an equilibrium, it got to the point where both sides were wanting the same thing, kids who were awake."

"Yet everybody knew that couldn't be done without history repeating itself. And me being the entrepreneur that I am, I figured it was time to meet supply and demand again. I'd have to make a new drug that could somehow satiate both parties. It was necessary, because if I didn't do something then it was only a matter of time before they'd try escalating their sexual highs on their own. And you know how people want and -will- try to find ways to get 'high' in the euphoric sense. All I do is make cleaner and safer ways for them to do it. While also sparing their victims the memory of a bad experience. If you've ever seen a show called Broken Baddy, it's kind of like that, minus the meth and with more cum. My drugs are always the lesser of two evils ... Kinda"

Sae did her best to follow Takemi's on-going lecture while she was approaching an orgasm. Just to show she was still alert enough to respond, she made an attempt to counter Takemi's claim. "But you're.. making it worse by encouraging them.. When they know they can get away with it.. they're more likely to do it.." She said between labored breaths. The girl was getting better at licking her and she even seemed to not mind doing it anymore.

Takemi replied with a devilish grin. "That's why I said kinda. It's also part of my plan to just get them making more hot stuff again and putting it out there. Though I'd rather not see them rampantly committing rape without a scapegoat. The softies won't have a reason to whine if the kids don't remember anything and thus, couldn't become traumatized. That's all they're really worried about."

Sae shook her head in shame, despite her own face being flushed red with desire. "You're a monster.. I bet financial gain was.. also part of your plan. Use Cheshire Cat as a gateway drug.. then get them to buy.. Whatever you're going to call this thing.." She managed to string the words together into a coherent accusation, albeit ironically.

Takemi merely laughed it off. "Mad Hatter, that's what I'm going to call it. I bet you saw one that coming though, right?" She reached a hand over to cup one of Sae's breasts and massage it. Giving a knowing nod to her, she signaled she was done talking now and that Sae could focus on the pleasure.

She felt her arousal boiling over thanks to added stimulation. ("Compared to what Takemi did, this is nothing, I guess. She's pretty much broken in now so I should be able to take it up a notch.") Sae convinced herself as she wrapped her legs around the girl's head. She squeezed it with her thighs and began giving her orders. "Do it faster." The girl complied and Sae gyrated her hips across her face. With both hands, she held her head in place. "Call me the Queen while you have my pussy in your mouth ... Slave!" When the girl obeyed, Sae delighted in the feeling of her voice vibrating through her nether regions as she licked them simultaneously from the inside. Her first orgasm of the night was close and Sae laid all the way back on the bed, closing her eyes. The realization of the fact that she'd been lead to an experience she innately craved for so many years made Sae grateful to her new friend for it. "Thank you, Takemi.." She said blissfully without opening her eyes to keep in the tears. Takemi wasn't entirely sure about the depths of Sae's passionate display, but she understood it was coming from a very deep place. Somewhere beyond the physicality aspect of what she was feeling.

"You're very welcome." She said sincerely.

[10/08 Midnight: Unknown Residence]  
[~ Freedom and Security ~]  
  
Their night went on with Sae managing to reach a few more orgasms before the effects of the drug wore off. She thought about asking Takemi to do her with the dildo while she leaned over the girl to let her suck on her nipples, but chose not to mention it. She'd already had enough stimulation for one night and the experience was more than satisfying. Her climaxes plateaued more on the mental stimulus than the physical aspect due to the girl's underdeveloped oral skills. They were getting better over time, but would ultimately be lost. Takemi looked at her watch and announced the inevitable. "It's Midnight. Four hours ago I gave it to her so she should be blacking out with a memory lapse right.. about.." The girl fainted in Sae's arms on queue for a few seconds as Takemi foretold. She was holding the girl in her lap in preparation for this as instructed, so she wouldn't hit her head on anything.

When she came back to, Takemi put her gentle natured persona back on and spoke to her. "Hey there, Sweetie, how are you feeling?" The girl blinked and looked around. "You fell asleep so we carried you here to your room." She said with a smile. The girl looked over her shoulder at Sae, who was still holding her. "This is Aunty's friend, she helped me with you." Sae nodded approvingly and let her go. The girl slowly got off of her lap and stood between them. She innocently eyed the stranger in her room and Sae responded with a gentle smile. "Sweetie, can you tell me what this is?" Takemi asked the girl from behind. She turned around to face Takemi and saw one end of the dildo pointed at her. Takemi held it by the other end over her own crotch.

"A big worm?" The girl replied in the same way she did before.

Takemi gave her a knowing smile. "That's right. And where do you think it's touching me?"

There was no trace of fear in the girl's eyes when she pointed at it and giggled. "Your butt!" She then turned around to face Sae again, as if she too found must have found it funny. Sae was relieved at her reaction but one small detail worried her. Despite the girl's laughter and innocent smile, a few small tears flowed from her eyes.

"Doctor, look!" She gasped at Takemi and tepidly pointed a finger behind the girl's head when she turned back around.

Takemi took a step closer and bent down to observe her face. "Hmm, that's never happened before. At least not at this stage of development. Maybe those are just tears of laughter? Either way, I'll take it as a sign to mean this still needs a little more work. If it's not completely refined yet, she might recall parts of the experience when she's older. Especially if she ever goes through hypnotherapy. No need to worry though, that's years down the line. By then she'll no doubt have her own sins to bear if her parents raise her the way I think they will." She concluded, then placed a hand on her chin and thought for a moment. Afterwards, she looked at her watch again. "It's time for you to go. Her parents will be back home soon. I'll see you out."

Sae nodded in agreement and followed her back downstairs. Leaving the girl in her room so she could go the bed, they continued talking outside before parting ways. "By the way, we should exchange numbers." Takemi said and pulled out her phone. Sae did the same and they entered each other's information. After putting their phones away, Takemi looked around them at the yard and before taking out a cigarette that was hidden in the medallion on her necklace.

"You smoke?" Sae asked her incredulously.

After lighting it and taking a puff, Takemi admitted to her vice guiltily. "..Only after sex. It's not a habit I'm particularly proud of."

"Well, there are definitely worse things you could be into." Sae said ironically.

"I know, right? Anyway, I'm sure you're wondering about the brick wall around this place. That's because the owners like to host orgy parties. You're welcome to join them if you want, I'll get you an invite. It's mostly adults in masks having sex with each other or watching porn. But there's usually a few trained kids there as well. They're the offspring of veteran members so you don't have to give them any drugs to play with them. They'll do whatever you want. You just have to win them in a gamble. They're considered a luxury since they're so few and we're so many. The next party is going to be on the thirty-first, and it'll be Halloween themed. So if you want to come, find yourself a costume. Especially if you're worried about seeing anyone you know there."

Sae arched an eyebrow and considered taking her up on the offer. "Interesting.. Maybe I will, but I'll have to check my schedule first."

Takemi reached into her cleavage and pulled out a familiar looking blue bottle. "Here." She said and handed it to Sae. She stared at for a moment, showing a hint of disappointment. When she looked back up from the object in her hand, Takemi caught her by surprise with a sudden deep and passionate kiss. "That makes it official. We're partners now. I've been wanting another woman I could do this with, but all the ones I know are either too married or.. too straight."

Sae stared at her wide eyed, feeling her lips after the kiss. "Sooo.. you're a lesbian?" She asked inquisitively.

"Bisexual. With a preference for girls. YOUNG girls, as you might have guessed. But it's not like I can have a relationship with one, much less let my interest in them show. The next best thing is being with another woman who's also into them. Know what I mean?" Sae nodded in acknowledgment. For some reason, Takemi's confession reminded her of Naoto. They seemed to be polar opposites of each other in her dealings with them. The thought of what might happen if the two were ever in the same room together made Sae shiver. Hoping to prevent that from happening in case Naoto found a lead that put her Takemi's trail, Sae figured it would be prudent to probe her new friend for information. The more she knew about Wonderland, the more she could use that knowledge as a diversion on her 'other' partner, the adversarial one.

"So tell me. I'm really curious about something you mentioned earlier. This new leader of Wonderland who brought in all the new members, worked at the Kirijo Group with you and ultimately resulted in you making these drugs, who are they?" Sae asked, making Takemi glare at her more seriously.

"Is this the cop part of you asking or the pedo?"

Sae made a 'you got me' gesture by holding up her hands in the air and faintly smiling. "Both. But at least I'm being honest about it. I want to protect you from someone who might come asking questions later. The more I know the better I'll be able to lure them away."

Takemi folded her arms and pouted. "Alright. I'll tell you what I know. But if you want to know everything you'll have to talk to the head honcho of the Kirijo Group yourself. We didn't actually work together, we were in different branches. So anyway, the new leader was a woman called Alice. She was in their advanced technological research division while I was in their advanced medical research division. Each division had tiers and the 'advanced' ones were for the top secret projects. So top secret that the divisions were kept isolated from each other. I already told you what I was there for but she never told me what her job was. We've never actually met in person." She took one last drag on the cigarette she was smoking and hid the bud back inside her capsule style medallion.

"The only reason I was able to find out she worked for the Kirijo Group too was because of the videos she started posting when she took over. The ones that somehow got us a whole bunch of new members. I recognized the server addresses they were hosted on, they were Kirijo servers. How the hell she managed to do that, I don't know. But you -know- it has to be an inside job when somebody can pull that off. All our videos are still hosted on there today. And that's the gist of it. Like I said, you'll have to talk to the Kirijo Group to find out more about her. I can arrange a meeting with them for you but they don't know I'm working with Wonderland now, so keep that part a secret."

Sae nodded to assure Takemi she would stay quiet. "Yes, please do. I won't say anything about you, I'll only ask them about Alice and say it's for the Wonderland case. All they need to know is that I know you used to work for them and asked you to hook us up, right?"

Takemi unfolded her arms and relaxed her face. "That should work. I'll give them a call tomorrow and see if I can get you an appointment. I'll let you know when and where it'll be." Sae thanked her and began to leave the premises feeling a sense of accomplishment when Takemi told her one last thing.

"Miracle." She said without context.

"Huh?" Sae turned back around, confused.

"That's the girls name, Miracle. After what we did to her, I thought you should probably know. Regardless of what I said earlier." Despite her apparent change of heart, Takemi showed no sign of emotion that exhibited remorse.

"I see.." Sae wasn't sure what to make of the last bit of information Takemi gave her, but she knew it would be a name she would never forget.

"Anyway, goodnight.. Sae." Takemi said finally and went back into the house, where she would continue to do her babysitting side job.

[10/08 Morning: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Beneath the Mask -rain, instrumental version- ~]

Sae woke up as she normally did and turned on the TV in the living room. She checked the weather on the news and it said the possibility of rain was high. "Guess I'll just stay in then." She said to herself as Makoto came into the room after waking up later than usual due to not having class. Sae saw an opportunity to finally ask her about Personas since neither of them had anywhere to go today. "Makoto, I have something I want to talk to you about." She said, piquing her sister's curiosity.

"What is it?" She responded with a bit of worry.

"It's about Personas.. And what you saw on my computer before.." Makoto's reaction showed a combination of surprise, disbelief and dismay. For Sae to randomly bring up the subject of Personas was very unexpected. And what she saw on her sister's laptop was something she would have rathered forget. Along with the experience she had with Sae afterwards. "Do you remember that woman who came by here the other day? Naoto. She's a Persona user.."

Makoto's expression was that of pure shock at the revelation. "What?! How?! And how do you know?! I thought the Phantom Thieves and Akechi were the only Persona users. You're telling me she was going into the Metaverse too?"

Sae shook her head. "No, she's from another group of Persona users who went into something called the TV World rather than the Metaverse. It's too complicated for me to even try to explain, having never been inside either one myself. But the reason I know she has a Persona is because.." She trailed off and sighed. Realizing she would have to tell Makoto everything about the case and why those videos were on her computer. Sae wanted to keep her from getting involved but now it was inevitable, since she needed information from her. She explained to her how the videos on her computer were evidence for a case and not a 'deliberate' part of her porn collection. How Naoto was also on the case and that they were meant to be working together until things got complicated. After Sae gave her all the 'necessary' details, Makoto put the puzzle pieces together.

"So she said you were taken off the case because you don't have a Persona.. And the reason that matters is because those videos can somehow manipulate people's Shadows. But you don't have a Shadow, we defeated yours in the Metaverse." Sae refrained from telling her that fact was quite the contrary and her Shadow was actually very much still active deep inside her consciousness. Whether or not Wonderland's videos were to blame for that didn't matter to her anymore, what was done was done.

"Not taken off, I was 'sidelined' as Naoto put it. Basically, they believe it's too dangerous for a non-Persona user to work on this case because they 'might' have a Shadow. Thus making them vulnerable to exploits the enemy uses. Did you experience what she described?" Sae reiterated a key component of her explanation to Makoto.

"You mean did it feel like the first time I summoned my Persona when I saw it? ... Y-Yes, actually." She said with some embarrassment.

"Why are you blushing? I don't care if you masturbated to what you saw. That's irrelevant now. I just want to know if you ... Wait, it's something more complex than that, isn't it? So what really happened back then? Tell me!" Sae demanded of Makoto in frustration. She wasn't in the mood for dealing with the coy schoolgirl act again. Her sister's sudden outburst made Makoto flinch and she complied with her out of fear.

"A-Alright! I wasn't really, you know, masturbating. At least not in the normal sense. You caught me with my clothes in a heap back then because the feeling of my Persona awakening again reminded me of the outfit I wore whenever we went into the Metaverse. It was ... a bondage type outfit. I'm really into that kind of stuff so.."

Sae scoffed at her in mild disappointment. "So what? That's it? Your face was red and your clothes were in a mess because you were in here trying to tie yourself up or something? How cute, you could have just told me you were a masochist."

Makoto became the one who was frustrated now at the feeling she was being kink shamed. "And you could have just told me you weren't downloading child porn on your computer! All you had to say was it was evidence for a case instead of letting me think you were an undercover freak." She retorted. Sae wanted to get up and slap her but knew she was right, very right on the last regard. If Makoto knew about the things she'd done there would be no denying her hypocrisy. Instead, she calmly acknowledged her point.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I never wanted to get you involved in this in the first place. That's why I didn't tell you it was for a case, because I knew you'd want to help. That's what a police officer in training would do. Anyway, since you have a Persona, you aren't vulnerable to their methods, whereas I am.. supposedly. Which means I could have you watch the videos for me and-" Makoto promptly interrupted her before she could say it.

"Yeeaah, NO! I don't want to look at that kind of stuff again. So you don't have to worry about me getting involved in the case. If you need my help with anything else though, I'm there. But don't ask me to watch 'porn' for you, okay? Please? That's way too creepy, Sis!"

Sae laughed lightly at her reaction. "Haha, relax, I was joking. I wouldn't go showing my little sister something so inappropriate unless I had to." She then asked Makoto about the first time she summoned her Persona and how it happened. Wondering if there was any possible way she could replicate the experience for herself. For as much as she mocked them, Sae would have liked to join the Persona user club and feel special too. But unfortunately for her, it seemed she was out of luck. Not only did the Metaverse cease to exist anymore, she didn't meet the apparent age criteria of being a teenager. She relented to the fact that her window of opportunity may have passed her by, but felt oddly content at having a Shadow to keep her life from being too boring.

[10/08 Evening: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Have a Short Rest ~]

Later in the day Sae received a text message from Takemi. Her 'friend' let her know she called in a favor and got her an appointment with the Kirijo Group. She would have to go to Tatsumi Port Island the day after tomorrow and meet them at a school there. Otherwise she might have to wait for an indeterminable amount of time at another chance to meet. ("Great, that's not sudden at all. Give me two days to prepare when I was expecting it to at least take a week.") She thought with some annoyance and sat her phone down. Sae was enjoying herself a nice, hot bath and looking forward to the possibility of seeing Teddie again soon. She was planning to use her newly acquired dose of Cheshire Cat on him again just for fun. Then, just as she was thinking about him, her phone chimed with another text. She picked it back up and saw the message coincidentally came from her one and only sex pet.

["Hey~! You said you wanted me to wear something nice with the panties you gave me next time, so~"] He sent her a picture of what he would be wearing on their next encounter. It was him in an old fashioned light blue dress with a white apron and white stockings. He posed himself by holding a finger to his lips and winking one eye while his other hand lifted up the dress to show he was wearing her panties. His hair was significantly longer as well but she knew it was obviously a wig.

"Interesting.." She said to herself after scrutinizing the picture for a moment. His next text after sending the picture caught Sae off guard.

["Look at me! I'm Alice in Wonderland! ~.^"] The caption made her choke on her own saliva and burst into a fit of laughter. She almost dropped her phone in the water but caught it just in time and saw he had sent her another message. ["As you requested, something that's not a maid outfit. This one's a classic I haven't worn in a while. I'm looking forward to what you'll do to me in it. ~.^"]

Once she regained her composure, she texted him back. ["It's lovely. I hope you won't mind if it gets ruined though. <3"]

["If it does I'm sure it'll be worth it~!"]

She sat her phone back down again and slid her body into the tub, letting the water embrace her head to toe. ("That's going to be awesome! He's such a sub I probably won't even need to give him the drug.") While Sae thought what she could do to Teddie, her phone chimed with yet another text. "Geez, is everybody going to text me today?!" The stream of intrusions were beginning to make her feel a little annoyed again. Grabbing her phone once more, the first thing she noticed when she checked the message was a dick pic. ("What the fuck?") Her first thought was that it was spam or came from a random guy with the wrong number. But then she realized it was from Iwai after he sent another message following the picture.

["I'm going to be back in town again soon. REALLY looking forward to seeing you."]

Sae scoffed at his crass. "How juvenile. What are you, a teenager?" She would have sent a text back reprimanded him but took a moment to admire his manhood. Then a sudden thought came to her mind. She went back to Teddie's messages and looked at his picture. Then back to Iwai's, and then Teddie's again. "Hmmm.." She said to herself before texting Iwai back. ["I'm looking forward to.. 'that'. But since you don't seem to mind showing it off so easily, I've got someone I'd like you to 'meat' with it."] She deliberately misspelled the word 'meet' with emphasis so he'd know what she meant.

["Uh, sure? If you're planning a threesome I'm down."] He texted back with a chin scratching emoticon at the end. Then after a few seconds he sent her another message, seemingly upon realizing his mistake. ["Hey, don't go showing that to people though, I ain't no hoe."]

Sae smiled with a slight laugh at the irony. ["Stop lying. Any guy who sends a dick pic without being asked for one is already a hoe. Not to mention I literally bribed you with sex the first time we met."] After a brief moment of silence between their exchanges, signaling he was either laughing or thinking of a reply, he finally sent his response to her dig.

["With all due respect, that makes you more of a hoe than me, babe."]

Sae's mouth fell open and a short breath escaped her lungs. Knowing she couldn't really argue with Iwai on that, she took her 'L'. ["..touché"]

[10/08 - 10/09]

[10/10 Daytime: Gekkoukan High School]  
[~ Changing Seasons (Persona 3 OST) ~]

Two days later, Sae made her way by train to Tatsumi Port Island where her meeting with the Kirijo Group's CEO would be. Their company was giving a speech to the student body at Gekkoukan High School and this was the only schedule opening their CEO had before having to go overseas for business. As she walked down the halls of the school, Sae felt an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. It wasn't the school she went to but it reminded her of her own so much she wanted to cry. She missed her days as a student, when life was much simpler and their father was still alive. All the students and teachers were in the gymnasium for the speech so no one was around for her to talk to. She used the momentary solitude to shed a few tears and wipe them away just to get it out of her system.

After admiring the school's memorabilia, peeking into the classrooms and generally frolicking around to kill time, she found her way to the Principal's Office. Standing in front of it, she took a deep breath before knocking on the door. "Come in." A man's voice said from inside. She entered and saw him standing behind the big desk in the room. He wore a red, black and white suit with patterns that matched the school's emblem colors. "You must be Sae Niijima." He said and she nodded affirmatively. "I'm Akihiko Sanada, the school's principle. It's a pleasure to meet you." He said and reached out a hand to shake hers after introducing himself.

Sae walked over to the desk and accepted the formal greeting, then got to the point. "So you know why I'm here?"

He nodded and answered her with some disdain. "Yes, though I wish it could have been under different circumstances. I hate those Wonderland bastards." His face showed utter contempt and Sae almost stepped back defensively. She knew he wasn't being hostile towards her personally but she definitely needed to keep her tentative affiliation with them through Takemi under wraps. "The speech should be over soon, so please, have a seat." She did so and waited for her rendezvous. They passed the time by making small talk about the school and Sae learned of how Akihiko and the Kirijo Group's CEO were Gekkoukan graduates themselves. He eventually received the text message from her to let Sae know she was on her way.

A few minutes later, someone entered the office without knocking and Sae turned around to see who had the audacity. What she saw was a buxom woman with very long red hair that curled up at the ends and she wore an all white pants suit. Sae stood up to greet her and they shook hands. "Are you the Kirijo Group's CEO?" The woman nodded with a smile and introduced herself.

"Yes, I'm Mitsuru Kirijo, nice to meet you. So you know Takemi, huh? How's she doing these days? Not making any strange medicines I hope."

Sae arched her brow and responded with a nervous laugh. "N-No, none that I know of at least. She's a great doctor and good woman."

Mitsuru took a seat in the other chair in front of the Principle's desk and they began to discuss the matter at hand. "You're here to learn more about Alice than Wonderland, correct?"

"Yes, I was told she used to work for you. Knowing what she did at your company could prove to be valuable information for our case. We know you weren't involved in Wonderland's creation but you might have some vital evidence." Sae had her attention directed at Mitsuru but Akihiko drew it to himself when he questioned her nuances of her words.

"Sorry to interrupt, but why did you say it like that?"

Sae was taken aback by the sudden diversion. "Huh? Like what? I'm not sure what you mean." She looked at him, confused.

"You said you know they weren't involved in Wonderland's 'creation'. That makes it sound like you know 'when' and 'how' Wonderland started. As if it was done artificially rather than organically. Speaking in hypotheticals, the Kirijo Group -could- have been involved. No offense, Mitsuru. But how do you know for sure they weren't?" He said with a stern expression. Akihiko's wit put Sae on guard and she realized she would have to be very careful of what she said around him. She could incidentally let too much information slip just by asking a simple question.

Mitsuru spoke up in Sae's defense. "That's enough, Akihiko. You're antagonizing her. Don't let your personal feelings cloud your judgment. There are plenty of reasons why she could know that. This woman is part of the prosecution. They have access to resources most people don't. So show her a little more respect. She may be the one who takes down the people you despise so much." She looked back at Sae and gave her a friendly nod, which Sae returned in appreciation. "Now then, regarding Alice. It might be best to tell you about her at our headquarters, where her lab used to be. If you'll come with us, I have a car waiting outside in the parking lot."

Noticing she said the word 'us', Akihiko butted in again. "By 'us' do you mean me too?" Mitsuru only looked at him without saying a word and he knew it meant of course she did. He sighed and grabbed his coat. Sae agreed to go with them and they went outside to where an extravagant, long black limousine awaited.

"Wow.." She said in pure amazement. She'd almost forgotten she was rolling with one of if not the richest woman in the world.

[10/10 Evening: Kirijo Headquarters, Abandoned Airport]  
[~ Their Own Past (Persona 3 FES OST) ~]

When they arrived at their destination on the Kirijo Group's enormous campus, everyone got out of the car, including the driver. Sae couldn't get a good look at their chauffeur before or during the ride. But when she could, upon closer inspection she thought there was something off about her. ("She doesn't seem quite.. human??") When their chauffeur noticed the peculiar way Sae was looking at her, the girl simply smiled and waved an obviously synthetic hand.

"That's Aigis, she's an android." Mitsuru said casually as if she were introducing a normal person. Sae looked at Mitsuru, then back at Aigis.

"Sure, why not?" She said quaintly, accepting the fact that anything was possible with the Kirijo Group. Sae looked around her at the airport's landscape and noticed one thing. There were no vehicles, planes or signs of other people. Nothing but wide open space and hanger buildings along the runways. The ominous building they pulled up in front of was the control tower. "So this is where she worked?" Sae asked as she shivered with chills. It was cold and windy out unlike where they came from earlier. The sky was dim and covered in heavy clouds that looked like they could pour down raining at any moment. She wanted to either hurry up inside or get back in the car before something like The Langoliers showed up.

"It's the ruse for where she used to work. Her lab is underground, directly below us in fact. Aigis!" Mitsuru answered, then ordered the android to shoot the chained lock off the door, greatly startling Sae. It wasn't just from the sudden outburst or sound of gunfire, she didn't expect their robot friend to have built-in weaponry. After Aigis took care of the lock, she held up her hand to her face and blow off the smoke fuming from her finger tips. "Let's go." Mitsuru said and walked in first. They followed suit and she led them to the back of the building where there was an elevator with an access keypad. She entered a passcode and the doors opened. "You might want to turn your phone off." Mitsuru turned around and spoke to Sae in particular.

"W-What? Why are you only saying that to me?" She asked, feeling a little worried and nervous. She was scared enough already of going into the basement of an abandoned building with two people she barely knew and an android that could kill. The last thing she wanted to do was turn off her phone in case she needed to call for help. And she figured Aigis would probably laugh at the model gun Sae kept in her purse if she tried to use it on them. "He already knows the drill and she doesn't have a phone. This place is dangerous for internet connected devices."

"O-Okay.." Sae took her advice and reluctantly turned off her phone. They stepped into the elevator and went down. The ride was long and the tension was palpable. Aigis remained expressionless but Mitsuru and Akihiko made faces that looked like they were getting ready to go into battle. When the elevator finally stopped and the doors opened, Sae couldn't believe her eyes.

[10/10 Evening: Kirijo Headquarters, Alice's Lab]  
[~ Interstice of Time (Persona 3 FES OST) ~]

The underground facility was an auditorium covered in monitors. Wall to wall screens with one giant theater sized screen at the center in the far end. Every seat in the hall was a desktop station housing a computer and a full tower server wrack. There were hundreds of them and all were turned on. "All these computers running and no one here to use them.. What a colossal waste of energy.." Sae said, feeling astonished and somewhat remorseful.

Mitsuru spoke up to appease her concerns. "A drop in the bucket. Plus they're not on for no reason. You're looking at an integral part of the internet's infrastructure. We couldn't turn them off even if we wanted to. Millions of websites and services would go offline. Including most of Japan's major ISPs ... And Wonderland's database." Sae marveled at all the undoubtedly expensive, sophisticated technology before her, imagining how much information it must have housed.

"What exactly did she do here? Are you going to finally tell me now?" She asked impatiently.

"Yes, but before I do, let me ask you one thing. Are you familiar with the power of Personas?"

Sae sighed and covered her face with a palm. "Yes..." She said very calmly while rolling her eyes in exasperation.

Mitsuru then nodded and continued. "Good, then that makes this a lot easier to explain. Let's walk and talk, shall we?" She said, making the gesture for them to follow her down the center isle towards the most prominent display in the room. "The reason I told you to turn your phone off is because all of these computers have a trojan horse on them. If the virus gets onto your phone, it'll give Wonderland remote access and they'll lock it with an encryption no one can break. Or at least no one on our staff can, nor the government's. These computers all have that same encryption on them. Alice designed it herself. She was our lead software engineer, most talented programmer and the head of this facility."

They reached the big screen in the room, where a lone computer resided in front of it. Attached to the computer were several visor headset devices Sae had never seen before. "This was her workstation. She used it to interface with all of the equipment you see in here ... And that display up there was what she used when she needed to make an announcement or show anything to the other employees who were in the room." Mitsuru pointed up at the big screen to draw Sae's attention to it. "Since you know about Personas, I assume you either have one yourself or you know someone who does. Perhaps you're also aware of the awakening process. And how certain individuals have the potential to attain a Persona's power and use it effectively." Sae nodded to confirm she did, somewhat. Even though she didn't know much about the 'potential' Mitsuru spoke of. She merely assumed having the 'potential' meant being under twenty and in the right place at the right time.

"Well, some years ago we lost perhaps the greatest Persona user of all time. He made the ultimate sacrifice in order to protect humanity from an entity known as Nyx. To ensure we'd be prepared for such an adversary if it ever emerged again in the future, we launched a new project down here. One that would enable us to build an entire army of Persona users. It was called Operation Shadownet, and it took years to finesse. Alice's job was to develop an A.I. with global surveillance algorithms that could find other Persona users in the world. As well as those with the potential. Her A.I. started out as just a web crawler at first. Collecting personal data on people from all over the world and amassing a digital library of biographies, timelines, locations, relationships.. Basically anything you could find on a social networking site. Except without the person's knowledge or consent."

Sae interjected, speaking mostly to herself. "So the Kirijo Group was doing something illegal. Why am I not surprised?"

Mitsuru only sighed at her remark and continued. "It was for the greater good. Humanity's defense is more important than people's privacy. However, Alice lost sight of that cause. Or perhaps she never really cared about it to begin with. No background check could have told us what kind of person she truly was. A nefarious pedophile, and we put her in charge of all of.. THIS!" She made a grandiose gesture of sweeping her arm across the room, exhibiting the vast supply of data centers the Kirijo Group had.

"That was -our- fatal mistake. We should have never trusted so much information and technology in the hands of one person. Even though there were hundreds of people in here with her, she had the most authority, the most access and the most power. She abused that power to control and influence her subordinates into turning a blind eye to what she was doing. Which some say was a habit of diving too far down into the deep web. We think she found something there that ultimately resulted in her going rogue and making Wonderland what it is today right under our noses. Before she left the facility to safely remote-control it from an unknown location, she recruited several people on her team. That's why there's multiple headsets here."

Mitsuru used a hand to point at all the visors strewn about the workstation. "We call them Personal Shadownet Visor Relays, or PSVR for short. When you put one on, you can navigate this network of computers, which has unfortunately become Wonderland's mainframe, and the rest of the internet through virtual reality. We can't use them now though, since the system is encrypted. We did manage to break the encryption once and get in, but it didn't go well. Especially for Akihiko." They all looked at the man in question. His brows furrowed in anger and he gritted his teeth while clenching his fists. He spoke no words but the look he gave Mitsuru implied there was something she'd better not tell Sae about. Which made her daftly curious.

"We were only able to get in for a few minutes before something weird happened that forced us to bail out. Inside the PSVR, we lost control of our Personas. They summoned on their own and attacked us, causing us real, physical pain. That's how we found out Wonderland's mainframe has the ability to manipulate Personas against their users ... And hack androids, due to them being an A.I." She drew Sae's attention to Aigis.

"That will never happen again though. You had me installed with firewalls to make sure of it. And you were confident in them enough to bring me back here, right, Mitsuru?" Aigis spoke for the first time, seeking confirmation from her mistress. Sae was already uncomfortable around a walking, talking, sentient weapon and the idea of it being 'hacked' gave her cause for even more fear.

"W-Wait! Sorry, you said she was hacked?! Is she going to try to kill us if that happens again?!" She asked in a panic, bracing herself away from Aigis. Mitsuru placed a hand on Sae's shoulder to calm her down.

"No. Her weapon functions are highly secured and no invading A.I. could gain access to them. Similar to how one human can turn on another, it only gained access to her ... leisurely functions." Mitsuru said and directed her eyes down at Aigis's crotch. "It activated her futanari module and she assaulted Akihiko a bit. That's all." She said with a smirk and looked at the only guy in the room, who'd been silent and perturbed the whole time.

"Goddammit, Mitsuru!! 'That's all' my ass! I knew you were going to do this! You just had to go and tell her, didn't you?! That shit wasn't funny! Aigis went into Orgia Mode and I couldn't do anything to stop her! And since we're on the subject, why does she even have a 'futanari module' in the first place?! I bet you had something to do with that, didn't you?! You didn't even try to help me out back then either! All you did was stand there and watch, like I was suffering for your amusement! I still remember how red your face was. That's probably why you wanted to drag me along for the ride, huh?!" Akihiko shouted, breaking his silence by going on a tirade. Mitsuru covered a hand over her mouth to try to suppress her laughter when she replied.

"Maybe~! You've got to face your fears, you know? Think of it as a way of training, something you've always loved doing. If it were to ever happen again you'd have to do more than just scream 'cease all motor functions' over and over while she pegs you." Akihiko's red face contorted in even more anger and he let out an aggressive 'Grrr!' through clenched teeth.

He then stormed off back towards the elevator and yelled at them. "There's no point in us being here anymore. I'm ready to go home!"

Mitsuru shrugged. "He's right, let's go. Since we can't break the new encryption on the computers, there's not much we can do." She started following Akihiko when Sae stopped them both.

"Wait." She said from behind them. Mitsuru turned back around while Akihiko merely glared at her over his shoulder. "What if I knew a really good hacker who could probably break the encryption?" She asked, hypothetically. Mitsuru arched an eyebrow and looked up in thought.

"Well, if you did and they're in Japan, we can get them here in less than thirty minutes. But it's still too dangerous, since we can't control our Personas in there."

Sae smiled confidently in her time to shine. "But I -don't- have a Persona, so I should be fine. Plus, that won't happen if you don't use the headsets, right? Just use the computer the old fashion way, if we can break the encryption. So yeah, I'll get us someone that can deal with this. Just let me make a phone call when we get back up top."

[10/10 Late Night: Kirijo Headquarters, Abandoned Airport]  
[~ 3/31 (Persona 3 FES OST) ~]

On her word, Sae made the phone call and let Mitsuru know she had someone capable and willing to try hacking the encryption. All they had to do was pick them up from the address she gave. "Aigis, go." Mitsuru said to her capable ally. To Sae's shock and surprise, Aigis blasted off into the air and flew away.

"Is there anything she -can't- do?" She asked Mitsuru, flabbergasted.

"Not really." Mitsuru responded dismissively while checking her watch.

"So where is she going? Surely she's not going to 'carry' them all the way back here.."

Mitsuru let out a small laugh. "No. At least not 'all the way' back. She's going to another airfield where we keep our private jets. She'll fly one of them to their nearest airport. From there, she'll then pick them up at the address you gave, carry them back to said airport and fly our jet back here." Sae's mouth fell open and she merely blinked at her. She could only imagine how that would work out. The three of them waited in an awkward silence for Aigis's return. Then, just as Mitsuru said, in less than thirty minutes a very fast, sleek black passenger jet landed on the runway and pulled up to the control tower. The plug door slid open and out popped Aigis carrying a very giddy Futaba Sakura.

"O.M.G!! THAT WAS SOO COOOL!!" She yelled elatedly, jumping up and down. "Never in my LIFE would I have thought I'd get to see a real live android, fly through the air and ride on the world's most awesomest jet! Sae-chan you really pulled a number on me~!"

Sae responded to her excitement with a gentle smile. "Thank you for coming. I hope convincing your dad wasn't too much trouble." Futaba pushed up her glasses and dismissively muttered she didn't tell him while taking notice of Mitsuru and Akihiko. Before the very worried Sae could scream 'WHAT?!' at her, Futaba walked passed her to meet Mitsuru.

"So you're the richest woman in the world, huh? Nice suit. Love the hair too." She complimented her and then looked at Akihiko. "And this is..?"

Rather than introducing himself, he folded his arms and turned away from them in a pout. "Someone who doesn't want to be here."

"Well alright then. Let's get this show on the road~!" Futaba said and walked ahead of them into the building. Mitsuru gave Sae a curious look in regards to Futaba and she merely shrugged in response. They all went in behind her, including the reluctant Akihiko. Mitsuru paced ahead of Futaba so she could enter the passcode for the elevator again.

[10/10 Late Night: Kirijo Headquarters, Alice's Lab]  
[~ Opening Act (Persona 3 FES OST) ~]

Once they got back down to the underground lab and Futaba was done nerdgasming out of control from sensory overload, she got to work on the main computer in front the big screen. "This Alice person you guys were talking about was a great programmer, but I'm a better hacker. Her encryption level is on par with what Medjed used. Which means it's nothing compared to my skills. Not only will I crack this like an egg, I'll disable their remote access." Futaba confidently proclaimed her superiority and encroaching victory. They all watched in amazement at her lightning fast finger tips on the keyboard. The monitors throughout the hall around them flickered and flared sporadically with pop-up windows and scrolling lines of code. "Almost done." She said to them after several minutes passed by. "Annnd there! We're in~!" She said victoriously and raised a fist in the air. "Piece of cake. Now let's see what they were hiding in here.." Futaba said and started rummaging through the system files. At that moment Sae dreadfully recalled the fact that they never told Futaba why she was doing this or what Wonderland actually is.

("Shit.. Sorry kid, but you're about to see some things you were never meant to. I hope your dad will forgive us for this..") Sae apologized to Futaba in her mind for how her innocence was about to be destroyed and hoped Sojiro wouldn't blame them for it. She was already feeling guilty over having not thought twice about it. Exposing a child to porn without warning was something only the most debaucherous adults did. To her surprise and wonderment though, Futaba nonchalantly skimmed through the videos with little to no reaction. It was like she was looking at something mundane or innocuous. "Futaba.. You're not bothered by this?" Sae asked her, feeling both concerned and curious.

"What, 'this' stuff? Pfft, please! I was a NEET for years, you think I've never seen porn before? This is weaksauce. I know how to find way better smut when I want to." Futaba scoffed.

Sae was taken aback by her abrasiveness. "Oh, umm.. Wow, okay..?" She said and looked at the other three. She threw up her hands to illustrate that she was just as surprised as they were by the not so innocent youth. There was only one way Sae could think of describing such a revelation. ("We got a badass over here.")

After several more minutes of browsing Wonderland's files, looking for info on Alice, Futaba came to a startling realization. "Wait a minute ... this data is looking hella familiar ... What the hell?!"

All three adults asked her in unison. "What is it?!" While Aigis had no reaction at all.

Futaba pounded her fist on the desk. "They're taking scenarios from stories people wrote and posted on MY website! And making -videos- out of them! Like this one right here!" Futaba directed their attention at the big screen in front of them, where she threw up a video Sae knew all too well. It was the same one from the flash drive, the video of the man and girl. The one Naoto pointed out as the fake. "That video came from a fan-fiction story Taro Namatame wrote himself!" She said accusingly and pointed a finger at his imitation on the big screen.

The revelation hit Sae like a freight train. "What?! He did?! How do you know?!" Sae was currently the only one present who knew that not all of Wonderland's videos were real. If it weren't for Naoto's shared knowledge of the persons in question and the experience of actually being there, she would have been none the wiser either.

"I know because I read that story myself and did some hacking to find out who wrote it. Sure enough, it was him. I never thought he'd actually do it, though.." Sae figured there was no reason to not let them know the video was a fake. Her information came from a credible source she could cite since they were on the side of justice. Unlike whatever she info she got from Takemi. Being careful not to implicate herself was paramount but this detail seemed like a safe enough bet.

"Actually, he didn't do it.." Sae explained the situation to them, which coincidentally let Mitsuru, Akihiko and Aigis know of Sae's working relationship with Naoto. Whom Sae didn't know had an affiliation with the Kirijo Group as well.

"So you're working with Naoto? What a small world." Mitsuru said, which caused Sae a bit of worry. She didn't want Naoto to know what she was doing, especially since they practically took her off the case. It would look suspicious to them if they caught her probing.

"Well, uh, don't tell her I came by to see you guys, please. We kind of have a rivalry thing going on and I don't really want her to know about my progress on the case until we meet again. Haha.." Sae said, nervously trying to improvise.

"Fair enough." Mitsuru said with a shrug. Aigis remained expressionless but Akihiko seemed to stare at her judgmentally.

"Okay, I've disabled their remote access and gained full control for the moment. Alice's little Wonderland is all mine now. I wish I could put on one of these VR units myself and game it up in there but I need to stay out here and monitor the situation. (sigh) The life of an operator." Futaba said, keeping her eyes on the screen and showing a bit of mild dejection.

"Don't look at me. I'm not going in there with her." Akihiko said sternly and planted his feet.

Mitsuru shook her head and rolled her eyes at him, then drew her attention to Sae. "You did volunteer anyway, so are you ready to do the honors? You were the one who brought this all together after all. I think you'll be alright since you don't have a Persona. And we can pull you out at any time." She said, hoping Sae was still up to the task.

Sae nodded with a face of determination and picked up the headset closest to her. "Let's see what we've got, Futaba. I'm counting on you to watch over me."

[10/10 Late Night: Kirijo Headquarters, PSVR]  
[~ The Days When My Mother Was There ~]

Sae put on the PSVR and entered an uncanny new world she never could have imagined. If she were to describe the way it looked, she would say it resembled the Planetarium in Ikebukuro. Only it was possible to go to all the visible stars by reaching out to touch them. When she made the gesture of doing so, whatever star her eyes focused on would expand as if it knew where she was looking. Touching it would instantly transport her to another location. And so with her mind's eye, all she had to do for effortless teleportation was to treat the entire world around her like a smartphone. Any pinpoint destination her mind's eye aimed for, she could warp there. Every 'star' represented a webpage or a file, a window to someone's personal computer, basically anything connected to the internet. All accessible through a dreamlike interface. For all intents and purposes, she was literally surfing the web through a simulation of outer space.

Sae didn't know if the others could see or hear what she did but the experience reminded her of what it felt like to be in the Velvet Room. "Futaba, can you hear me? If so, give me a sign." She said, thinking she was speaking out loud normally. She waited for a sign but none ever came. "Please don't let this all be in my head. The last thing I need is to be stuck in another dream world.." Sae feared her body may be semi-comatose in the real world and they would have to wake her up by taking the the visor off for her. She continued flying through the deep web, wondering what exactly she should be looking for. There were countless stars, too many places to go and things to see. No lone human being could handle such overwhelming options. "Is this what you were so obsessed with, Alice? Trying to see it all? What did you find in here that made you throw it all away for Wonderland?" Sae pondered as she floated through space. She was sure no one could hear her so her only choice was to wait. Wait until they finally pulled her out.

Suddenly, a mysterious voice answered her rhetorical inquiry. "I found myself, Sae-chan. Just as we helped you to find yourself."

It startled Sae, making her look all around her in every direction to see if anyone was in there with her. A distant star drew her attention to it when it appeared to be glowing brighter. Rapidly, it grew brighter and brighter until it looked like a star going supernova. It became so bright it completely blinded her sight in white. When it dimmed, a mysterious woman appeared before her. She had a magnificent body, long black hair, red eyes and she was completely naked. "Who are you?" Sae asked anxiously.

The woman dawned a mournful frown. "Aww~! You don't remember? I guess it has been a pretty long time since we played together. It's me, Alice ... Your queen."


	3. Chapter 3

  
[10/10 Late Night: Kirijo Headquarters, PSVR]  
[~ The Days When My Mother Was There ~]

Sae remained expressionless for a moment while she processed what the woman before her just said. ("My queen? What does that mean?") While she was trying to put the pieces together in her mind, Alice could see the confusion start to form on her face.

"So you really have forgotten.. I'm a little envious. Think back, Sae. All those years ago. You, Me ... and my father. In that old abandoned warehouse." Her last two words hit Sae like a freight train and her eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

"No.. No..! NO!! You can't be!" She became visibly angry, but Alice's only expression was a faint smile.

"Afraid so. I had a feeling we might see each other again one day, but not like this. Not in here. Our lives went down two very different paths, apparently."

Sae grabbed her own head in both hands and screamed. "This is NOT happening! Why?! Why did it have to be YOU of all people?!" Shaking her head no and writhing violently, Sae fought with herself, mentally and physically, to avoid having a nervous breakdown. The realization and discovery was overwhelming. She never expected the case to become so painfully personal to her in particular. It all made too much sense, like it was fate. The matriarch of her childhood abuse stood before her as Wonderland's mastermind. To make matters worse, she knew that could only mean the patriarch, her 'king', wouldn't be far behind. He would undoubtedly be waiting for her in the shadows as well.

It was as if all the stars had just aligned to lay the weight of the world on her shoulders in a single moment. She wouldn't be able to avoid having to face her worst nightmares on a stage for the whole world to see. Sae felt as though she was being forced to confront her past and her own demons simultaneously under the most unfair circumstances, inevitable public display. Refusing to accept the challenge she'd perceived their encounter to be, Sae did her best to contact the outside world. Hoping someone could hear her. "Futaba!! Get me out of here right now!! Please!!" She yelled, praying for her young operator to also be her savior.

No one outside of the PSVR could hear her because she wasn't physically screaming. They had no visual interface of what went on inside, so although her pleas weren't audible, Mitsuru could see the signs of distress forming on Sae's body. They were reminiscent of someone having a bad dream. "She's twitching and starting to sweat, I think it's time we took her out of there." She said affirmatively. But while they began the emergency ejection process, Sae would have to spend a few more minutes inside with Alice.

"You're running away from me? But there was so much I wanted to talk to you about." Alice said, feigning the telltale signs of someone who was visibly hurt by rejection. She reached out a hand towards Sae as if to say 'don't go', but the nonthreatening gesture didn't register. All Sae could see was a witch she had to escape from.

[10/11]

[10/12 Morning: Kirijo Headquarters, Private Hospital]  
[~ Memories of the City (Persona 3 OST) ~]

Sae awoke to find herself in an unfamiliar room but could tell she was in a hospital. Her clothes were neatly folded on a chair beside the bed and she noticed she was wearing a hospital gown. "What happened to me..?" She muttered exhaustedly, then as soon as she said it, a nurse walked in the room.

"Oh, you're awake. Welcome back to the modern world." The nurse said in a friendly manner.

"Huh? What do you mean by the 'modern' world?" Sae responded curiously.

The nurse smiled before explaining herself. "Nothing, really. Just a bit of attendant humor. You've been out for two days and I guess you were dreaming about times long past."

Sae arched an eyebrow at her. "What would make you think that?"

"Well, you were talking in your sleep and kept saying phrases like 'my queen' a lot. Perhaps you have a few dormant medieval fantasies? Like being a knight." The nurse said with a light laugh.

Sae dawned a more serious expression at the remark and changed the subject. "Where am I and how did I get here?" She vividly remembered the experience she'd had with her 'queen' recently but didn't understand why or how two days could have passed since then. The nurse stiffened up a little to regain her professional composure when she answered her.

"You're here at the Kirijo Group's private hospital. Mitsuru-san personally brought you in herself. We've already notified your next of kin, so there's no need to worry. If you'd like, we can have them flown over right away."

Sae facepalmed, feeling a bit perturbed. If Makoto knew where she was then she would no doubt try to connect the dots. Not only would that be a problem, she would want to know what rendered her sister unconscious for two days. Something Sae herself didn't even know yet. "Where is Mitsuru now? I need to speak with her." She figured if anyone knew the answer to that, it would be her. The nurse paged Mitsuru, who was elsewhere in the hospital, and let her know Sae was awake and wanted to see her. A few minutes later, Mitsuru entered the room, along with Akihiko. She thanked the nurse and asked her to give them a moment of privacy. The woman graciously complied and as soon as she left, Sae got straight to the point. "Before you ask, I remember everything, but why did I pass out for two days?"

Mitsuru folded her arms and held her chin to show answering that question wouldn't be easy. "We're still trying to figure that out. You're the only one who's ever gone in there besides us and had this happen. When we brought you out your eyes were open but showed no signs of consciousness. Whatever you saw in there must have really shocked you.." Mitsuru paused for a moment to see if Sae wanted to elaborate on that note but continued when she apparently didn't. "So we had Akihiko carry you back to the car and then we came straight here. The doctors said your vitals were normal, unlike a comatose patient, and that you should wake up naturally on your own soon. Can you stand and walk yet?"

Sae got out of the bed and stretched with minimal effort. She'd never felt so well rested before and temporarily forgot all of her woes. "God, that feels good. I should sleep for two days straight more often. Oh wait, I can't." Showing her sense of humor was still intact as well, she didn't realize the hospital gown she wore left her backside exposed entirely. It gave Akihiko a great view when she turned around and bent over to touch her toes. Noticing his blush, Sae arched an eyebrow at him. "What's gotten into you, Mr. Big and Quiet?" She asked, taking a step closer to him.

"Oh, uh, I was just thinking about how light as a feather you were when I had to carry you." He said as he looked away from her, nervously scratching his cheek. Mitsuru side glanced at him with a knowing smirk. She then asked Sae if she could put her clothes on so they could go for a walk outside and get some fresh air.

[10/12 Afternoon: Kirijo Headquarters Perimeter]  
[~ Troubled (Persona 3 OST) ~]

Putting her clothes on made Sae realize what likely had Akihiko blushing and unable to look her in the eyes. She now felt a little self-conscious and awkward around him due to the fact that he'd basically seen her naked in a very compromising pose. The three of them were having lunch together at a new garden variety park Mitsuru had installed recently. It was meant to make the Kirijo Group appear more 'friendly' to non-affiliates. "Did you find anything in there that would help you with the case?" Mitsuru finally asked when she decided to break the chain of small talk conversations they'd been having since leaving the hospital room. There was a brief moment of silence while Sae contemplated on how much she could tell them. She was certainly not about to let anyone know of her personal history with Alice. Only in the court of law would she divulge that information, and only if it were absolutely necessary.

("It's not shame.. No, it's just..") In her mind, Sae tried to reason with herself. She wasn't quite sure what made her want to hold that part back but she was sure it wasn't anything as petty as shame. Steeling her resolve, she turned her attention to Mitsuru and gave an answer. "I did, actually. I met Alice in there. Or rather, a digital representation of Alice. I don't think it was really her, it was most likely her avatar she controls remotely." She bent the truth a little by making the encounter sound mundane while omitting the dramatic details of her own hysterical reactions to it.

"What did she look like?" Mitsuru asked.

Sae recalled the woman's appearance, which was for all intents and purposes, very womanly in essence. "She was.. stacked to say the least. Tall, long black hair, red eyes, voluptuous and also quite naked. A picturesque example of the female body I would say." Mitsuru narrowed her eyes and glanced to the side, showing she had something on her mind. "What?" Sae asked her, wondering if she'd said something unusual.

"Well, that's kind of interesting because the real Alice doesn't look anything like that. It probably doesn't mean much since this was on the Shadownet. That's what we call the virtual reality you were in, by the way. One could change their appearance in there if they so desired to. Meaning it's not outside the realm of possibility that that's what she did. It must be why she looks different. Also, you did say it was probably her avatar. Anyway, what else happened in there?"

Mitsuru answered her with an aside then got back to the main subject. Her digression reminded Sae of something Makoto once said about the Metaverse and how their appearances changed when they were inside it. She thought that perhaps it was just a similar phenomenon, but Alice looking different was also another reason why Sae didn't recognize her at first. Not that she likely would have any other way since the last time they saw each other was when they were kids. Thinking about that fact helped Sae remember one particular detail about Alice and her father. They were foreigners. That was something she'd forgotten over the years. Continuing on, Sae filled them in with the other aspects of her experience. "Well, the scariest part about my encounter with Alice was a feeling that came over me from out of nowhere. It was like my mind was being torn away from my body, as weird as that sounds."

Mitsuru and Akihiko looked at each other and nodded. "That sounds like what happened to us in there. We had a similar experience. Remember how I told you our Personas came out on their own? That's probably what was happening to you, but you don't have a persona, so it would have been a very weird and unfamiliar sensation. It might also have something to do with why you were unconscious for two days." Mitsuru told her. Knowing Sae didn't have a persona made them sympathize with her added vulnerability.

"Yeah.." Sae muttered dismally. She acknowledged the fact that they were right about that, but what they didn't know was how she harbored a shadow within her instead of a Persona. "But if that's what was happening to me.." She trailed off while talking mostly to herself. In her mind, she considered the fact that maybe that sensation was part of what put her on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. If some external force was pulling at her psyche, then perhaps the shock of learning about Alice's true identity wasn't the sole cause of her overreaction. Noticing a change in Sae's composure, Akihiko spoke up after being silent the whole time.

"You look like you're getting tired. Fatigue must be setting in from your long nap. It happens once the adrenaline wears off." Mitsuru took note of his observation and agreed.

"We'll take you back home and stay in touch. That's enough for today." She said, then arranged for a chauffeur.

[10/12 Evening: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Have a Short Rest ~]

Sae went straight to her bed when she got home and took a short nap. After waking up she went into the living room where she found her sister watching the news. "Oh, hey Sis." Makoto said to her. Sae replied with an unenthusiastic wave of the hand and sat down at the table. "Are you feeling okay? I heard about what happened from Futaba." Her mention of Futaba caused Sae to let out a sigh of frustration.

"That girl.. How much did she tell you?" She asked Makoto and massaged her temples.

"Not much, only that you needed her hacking skills for the case you're working on." Her answer gave Sae a sense of relief but then she wondered what Mitsuru might have told her. Since the nurse at the hospital said 'they', as in the Kirijo Group, notified her next of kin.

"Anything else? Did anyone call you?"

"Yeah, a lady named ... Mitsuru? Called two days ago and said you were too busy with work to check in and that you'd be staying with her at a hotel for a few days." Makoto showed no sign of suspicion. Sae almost laughed at the convenient white lie her new acquaintance made up for her and how well it worked. She would have to thank Mitsuru later for keeping it simple.

"Good. That's right. I mean I'm glad she called you. There was a significant break in the case thanks to Futaba's help. She's really good. Amazing in fact. It's no wonder how the Phantom Thieves achieved all the things they did." She said, trying to change the subject. Makoto merely nodded in approval and drew her attention back to the TV. Sae realized she might have laid it on a bit too thick. But she couldn't tell if Makoto was hiding her true feelings or just giving her the benefit of the doubt. Either way, the awkward silence between them afterwards spoke volumes. ("Sorry, Makoto. You know I just don't want to make you worry.") Later that night, she would text Takemi to see if they could meet at her clinic for a chat.

[10/12 Late Night: Yongen-Jaya, Takemi Medical Clinic]  
[~ Butterfly Kiss ~]

"So how did it go?" Takemi asked Sae, getting straight to the point after closing shop. Sae responded with a shrug.

"Well enough, I suppose. But certainly not what I was expecting. It left me with more questions than answers. What can you tell me about Alice's predecessor? The leader of Wonderland before her." They sat across from each other in Takemi's examination room, not once breaking eye contact. Takemi shrugged likewise in response to Sae's inquire.

"Not a lot, only the rumors I've heard. You see, for as long as I've been following them, Wonderland has always had the same leader, until recently. They say the founder was Alice's father. Kind of explains where she got the name from, doesn't it? Talk about being quaint."

Sae put the pieces together in her head and thought it all made perfect sense. Figuring of course 'the king' would be Alice's predecessor. The apple didn't fall far from the tree, a truth she knew intimately. "Yes.. Very quaint. What happened to him after she took over?" She asked, veiling her anxiety behind curiosity. If Alice was the witch, her father was definitely the monster.

"Who knows? Maybe he retired and passed the torch. You know he had to be grooming her for it if the rumors are true." Takemi said, finally breaking their eye contact when she looked up at the ceiling and fanned herself with her clipboard. Sae waited a moment before taking a deep breath and addressing the elephant in the room.

"One other question. And this has been in the back of my mind ever since we met. You know I'm working on a case that could lead to Alice's arrest so ... Why are you helping me?"

"Ha!" Takemi blurted out in sudden amusement. "Shouldn't it be obvious? You can take Alice out of the equation but you won't solve the problem. If Wonderland lost its leader someone else would just take their place. Which is self evident in how Alice supposedly replaced her father. So all you'd be doing is creating a power vacuum. One that I plan to take full advantage of." She said honestly, making Sae even more curious.

"How are you so sure I won't turn you in?" Her nonthreating question made Takemi respond with very serious look on her face.

"You wouldn't. And you couldn't. Besides, I trust you. Deep down inside, I know you're a bad girl and that's what I love about you." Her expression let up and she appeared more friendly again.

"What makes me so special? Isn't Alice more your type?" Sae wondered why Takemi seemed to have more affinity towards her than the other, more prominent woman in their group. Takemi responded by shaking her head no to dismiss the idea.

"Alice might be naughty but she's a fairy godmother compared to me. I can tell that much by the way she operates Wonderland. If I were in charge, things would be different. A lot more ... intense than they are now. I want to turn it into my own little amusement park. And when I do, I'm going to take you on every last one of the rides." She gave Sae a seductive wink with her invitation. There was a nonverbal agreement in the air for an illicit coup d'état and Sae had no reason to doubt Takemi was being genuine. She knew exactly what the woman was capable of and saw first hand what her fetishes looked like. If she helped her rise to a position of power it could actually make things worse. But she figured at least it would be an evil she knew rather than one she didn't.

"(ahem) You.. don't have any limits, do you?" Sae nervously cleared her throat and asked another question out of morbid curiosity. A wicked grin formed on Takemi's face when she answered her.

"I dare you to test me to find out." The provocation made Sae involuntarily consider it. After all, Takemi had been the one testing her so far on two separate occasions.

("So now it's my turn to put her through a trial by fire for once. I could probably make her do anything I want. This should be ... fun, I guess?") She mulled it over in her mind. Her conscience told her it was bait but her libido said the offer was too good to refuse. Her rationalization skewed toward the latter and she went with the flow. "You're playing a dangerous game." She said and eyed her with a scrutinizing look.

"Nothing gets me off better than danger." Takemi replied confidently. Sae folded her arms while thinking of the best course of action. She already knew what she wanted. When an idea came to mind, she began making her proposal.

"You're a doctor so.. what does your appointment schedule look like?"

[10/13 - 10/14]

[10/15 Morning: Yongen-Jaya, Takemi Medical Clinic]  
[~ Restlessness ~]

A few days later, Sae was back at Takemi's clinic, disguised as a nurse. The ruse was to pass her off as Takemi's assistant during a routine checkup. "We're really doing this? It's going to work, right?" Sae asked nervously. Not only were they about to do something very risky, she wasn't too confident in her own acting abilities. Takemi looked her over with an approving smile.

"Of course, don't worry. Just relax and act natural. The mother is naive enough to buy anything I say without a second thought. When I give you the signal, draw her attention to you while I get behind her and use this." Takemi pulled out a makeup pocket containing a strip of clothe she doused in chloroform beforehand. "Plus, I'll have her drink some of that first for good measure." She pointed at a glass of water spiked with some of her refined Mad Hatter drug. Sae studied the glass carefully and then looked at the makeup pocket in Takemi's hand.

"You're incorrigible. And terrifying." She said while shaking her head in moderate shame.

Takemi chuckled and retorted back at her. "Well, you're the one who wanted to do this. Don't forget it's you who's supposed to be testing me. You don't have to do anything but sit back and watch this time." Sae knew she was right but couldn't help feeling just as guilty as Takemi. She was about to make her friend commit another heinous crime for no reason other than her own entertainment. They waited patiently for the scheduled time of the appointment but when Takemi got a phone call only ten minutes prior to it, their plans would have to change. "Yes.. I see. No, it's okay. Just let me know when you want to reschedule. Alright." Takemi answered her phone and ended the call just as quickly as Sae could guess what it was about.

"Let me guess-" Before she could finish her sentence, Takemi interrupted her.

"Yup. That was the mother, calling in to cancel the appointment." She said nonchalantly as she put her phone away. Sae exhaled, feeling both a sense relief but also mild disappointment.

"Maybe that's for the best then. There was no need for you to do something so awful just to impress me.." She said remorsefully, hanging her head down to the side and staring at the floor. ("You've got to set your boundaries somewhere, Sae. That had to be a sign. Don't let her corrupt you anymore than she already has.") In her mind, she tried to coach herself while Takemi remained quiet and expressionless. Sae couldn't tell what she was thinking but Takemi's lack of emotion was making her feel uneasy. They both sat in the exam room saying nothing to each other for a while until Takemi finally broke the silence again.

"You know, while you're probably having second thoughts about ever trying something like that again, I've been wet this whole time. And since you're partly to blame for my anticipation, I want you to make it up to me before you leave here." She uncrossed her legs as she spoke and Sae arched an eyebrow at her.

"How am I at fault? I didn't do anything." She said subversively. Takemi responded with a faint scowl by staring daggers into her eyes.

"Cut the bullshit, Sae. Of course you did. You had me ready to rape a baby for you. A two year old TODDLER while his mother was in the room. She'd have been unconscious but still. Your request was to rape her too, using her own kid. That was YOUR idea, not mine. You thought of all the things we were going to do with his little mouth, hands and feet. You're a sick, kinky bitch ... and I love it. Makes me wonder what other kind of fantasies you've got in that head of yours. Closet sluts are just full of surprises."

She paused to lasciviously trace her eyes over Sae's body. "Not to mention that outfit. You look good as a nurse. The fact that you were supposed to be my 'assistant' gave me some of my own ideas." On that note, Takemi hitched up her miniskirt and pulled off her panties. With her eyes still locked on Sae, she spread her legs out wide and began to gently rub herself. "Now then, why don't you get down here and 'assist' me with this." Sae stayed where she was without budging. Her eyes went wide and her mouth hung open. Takemi caught her so far off guard she couldn't move from her seat. "What? You look like you've never eaten pussy before."

When Sae said nothing she let out a frustrated sigh and shook her head. "Great. So you mean to say you've never been with another woman? Don't you dare tell me you don't swing that way after all I've done and almost did for you. Because if you do, you're going to be the one who's getting raped today. It makes no sense to me how we haven't had sex yet." Sae could see Takemi was getting quite aggravated at her lack of compliance. And she didn't want their situation to escalate in a bad way.

"No.. I mean.. I've been with a woman before but it's just been so long.. I'm not sure how to.. you know." She talked slowly while gradually getting down on all fours in an effort to calm Takemi down. The only 'woman' she'd ever tasted was Alice and that was a memory she tried to forget. Except for whenever her own pussy was being eaten out. That's when she imagined herself being in Alice's position.

"You've got one of your own, so just lick it the way you like being licked." Takemi's words triggered a subconscious reaction in Sae and she hurried across the floor to literally slam her mouth over her mound. She licked rigorously and grinded her face violently up and down. She sucked on Takemi's huge clit, bit her labia, and drove her tongue in and out everywhere she could. Including a rather forceful assault on Takemi's urethra. "Whoa! Slow down, girl! I never said you had to do all that!" Takemi gasped and braced herself up against her chair. Sae ignored her plea and pushed Takemi's legs up from the bottom of her thighs to access her asshole. When she penetrated it with her tongue, Takemi came instantly and squirted all over Sae's face.

She had been passively masturbating since taking off her panties and exponentially picked up the pace once Sae finally got started. Her climax came too fast and too hard the moment Sae licked her ass without warning. And despite the very obvious orgasm she'd just had, Sae kept going, acting as if she was possessed. Takemi tried to stop her by weakly pushing a hand against her head, but Sae misinterpreted the signal as the opposite. "That's.. enough.." She said while breathing heavily. Her head was arched back over the chair and her limbs hung about limply. "Sae.. stop.." She didn't have the strength say much more.

When the message finally got across to Sae, it was like she'd just woken up from blacking out. She had no idea how much time had passed. One thing she did know was that her face couldn't have been buried any more deeper into Takemi's nether regions than it already was. She found herself wriggling her tongue around inside Takemi's asshole while her nose inhaled the womanly musk of her soaked pussy. Slowly, she drew her gaze up Takemi's torso towards her very satisfied looking face. "That was great, but I think you need to work on your technique. Whoever you were with before must not have taught you how to take it slow." Takemi looked down at her as Sae pulled herself away from between her legs. She sat on the floor with a blank stare trying to process the whole experience. Knowing what she'd just done, but not why she'd done it the way she did.

"I did it the way I like it done to me, that is what you told me to do, right..?" She had no confidence in her excuse.

"I did, but does that mean you like rough head? You actually bit me. Not hard, but it wasn't exactly a nibble either. Don't get me wrong, rough is good.. when it's good. But there was a force behind the way you did it. The kind of force you'd associate with angry sex or hate fucking. Do you harbor some feelings of animosity towards me?" Takemi asked, showing a bit of concern. The question took Sae aback.

"What? No! No.. Of course not. You're the closest friend I've ever had. Whatever that was, I don't know where it came from. It just sort of burst out all at once, you know? ... I should be going now." She said as she got up to leave. Takemi watched her silently, but on her way out the door she yelled at Sae.

"Hey!! Forgetting something?"

Sae turned around and Takemi simply pointed a finger at the nurse's outfit she was still wearing. "Oh yeah.." Was all she could say in her absentmindedness. She hurried up and put her normal clothes back on, then rushed back home.

[10/15 Afternoon: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Nothingness...? ~]

The first thing Sae did when she got home was brush her teeth and rinse out her mouth. She brushed them hard enough to make her gums bleed. After that she considered taking a shower but decided it was still too early in the day for one. It wasn't really necessary since she hadn't done anything to warrant bathing. The experience with Takemi had left her feeling dirty and kind of violated, despite the fact that it was all of her own accord. Looking at herself in the mirror, she gritted her teeth and balled up her fists. Closing her eyes tight in shear frustration, she realized it had also left her highly aroused. She got Takemi off but they didn't do anything mutual. ("Maybe this is my penance..") She thought, self-consciously admitting guilt over a crime she hadn't committed. She knew masturbation wasn't going to be enough to take the edge off for her this time.

There was a hollow feeling inside of her that no toy could satisfy. Nor a man or even another woman for that matter. She had a craving for something more indirect that didn't constitute the idea of conventional sex. It was a desire to control someone. An inexplicable urge to make one person do something to another at her behest. Brewing in her mind was a scenario where the sex involved spectating rather than being physical herself. ("I was denied a good show today, but I won't suffer that happening again. It's too tempting. I have to know what it feels like.") Sae thought while she looked at herself in the mirror. Her lust for power caused a new sense of determination to form within her. While she thought of different ways to manipulate someone into doing her will, she scratched out anything that could be considered too dangerous.

[10/15 Late Night: Shinjuku, Red-light District]  
[~ Price ~]

Throughout the day Sae made contact with Iwai, who'd recently made it back into town, and Teddie, who adamantly kept himself available to her. She'd asked them both to meet up with her at a love hotel. The same love hotel she brought Teddie to nearly a month ago. What she didn't tell them was that the other was coming, because she wanted it to be a spur of the moment surprise. Teddie showed up first and he wore the Alice outfit he sent her a picture of before. He was so confident in his feminine appearance that he showed up already wearing it. "You actually came all the way here with that on?" She asked him, befuddled.

"Yup. I look good enough to pass for a girl, don't I?" He replied, showing some pride by placing his hands on his hips. She studied him up close and agreed wholeheartedly. Upon first glance, one probably couldn't distinguish him from an ordinary female. Sae reached a hand down towards his crotch and grabbed it, which caught Teddie by surprise.

"Sorry, I just had to make sure it was still there. Even though you probably won't be using it tonight." She told him. Teddie arched a curious eyebrow at her insinuation. Before he could ask her what she meant by that, there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" Sae said loudly. Iwai opened the door and walked in speaking before he noticed Teddie in the room.

"Hey babe, decided on doing it at a hotel this time instead of my shop, eh?" While he took off his coat to hang it up, Sae and Teddie stood side by side watching him. "Who's this?" Iwai asked once he finally noticed their third wheel. Sae smiled and answered his question with another question.

"Remember when I said I had someone I wanted you to MEAT?" She made a familiar gesture with her fingers that symbolized intercourse. Iwai stood quiet for a moment, observing Teddie.

"Yeah.. So this is her?" He said and looked back at Sae, who let out a small giggle.

"Yup. This is HER alright." She placed a hand on Teddie's shoulder, looking him directly in the eyes. "Teddie.. would you mind showing my boyfriend over there what you've got downstairs?" She seductively rubbed her other hand over his chest while pressing her body against his.

"Boyfriend? ... Wait, TEDDIE?" Iwai checked her first time usage of the word that put a label on their relationship before reacting to Teddie's obviously male name. While he tried to process what was going on, Teddie lifted up his skirt embarrassingly to reveal the erection Sae had just given him. "Oh.. Well, fuck.. So that's what this is." Iwai responded nonchalantly at their mutual 'surprise' for him. "What makes you think I'd be willing to do a guy?" He asked Sae, now showing a little contempt.

"Well, no offense, but I figured a former Yakuza like yourself has probably done some time in prison.. Which means you wouldn't be a stranger to making girls out of other men, now would you? Especially if they looked this good." She gave Iwai the reasoning behind her assumptions while she eyed Teddie like a piece of meat in his stead. "And -you-, it's no secret you've done this before. If the crossdressing doesn't say it all, then the the way I was able to so effortlessly pound your ass with a strap-on last time makes it a dead giveaway." She said to Teddie before giving him a friendly butt slap. Afterwards, she pushed him forward towards Iwai, causing Teddie to lose his balance and fall onto his hands and knees. He looked up at Iwai submissively, to which Iwai responded by eying him discerningly.

"Alright." He said in his usual, cool voice with a shrug. Sae clapped her hands together in delight.

"Great! Now then, don't hold back, boys, I want a good show." They were about to start gentle at first when Iwai grabbed a bottle of lube off the shelf when Sae stopped him. "Oh, he doesn't need that. I didn't use any when I fucked him and he did better than fine." She said, remembering how Teddie stung her pride a little by taking her best efforts to break him in stride. She did him as hard as she could but it just wasn't enough to make him scream.

"Are you serious?" Iwai asked her incredulously. He looked back at Teddie and asked him in a low, pseudo condescending man to man tone of voice. "You let her do that to you?" Teddie blushed and turned his head away.

"It's true, you can be as rough with him as you want. I prefer it that way, honestly." He confessed, to which Iwai scoffed and turned his attention back to Sae.

"Did you rape this kid or something? What's gotten into you? Y'know what, nevermind, don't answer that. I've already seen enough of your demons." His words pierced Sae's heart, because he once offered her support if she ever needed it. Now it was like he was showing disgust in her.

"That hurt, you know.." She muttered to him.

"Huh?" Iwai said when he couldn't quite hear her.

"Nothing. Just get on with it." She answered without looking at him. Her mood was soured now and she almost wanted to cancel their date, but she'd still have to pay Teddie for his services, as well as the room fee. She also wasn't about to let her own fickle emotions deny her the gratification she craved when she'd come this far. Iwai took off his pants while Teddie slipped out of his panties. His panties which happened to be the ones Sae had given him. They both got on the bed with Teddie assuming the doggy style position and Iwai lining up right behind him. He aimed his dick at the unprepared hole and pushed. It went in without much resistance or chagrin from Teddie's part.

"Damn, now this is what you'd call a sweet ass!" Iwai exclaimed, wrapping his hands around Teddie's waist with the compliment. He started pistoning right away and Teddie let out the most feminine moans Sae had ever heard come from a guy.

("What the hell?! The strap-on I used on you was bigger than his dick and you're moaning like that already?!") Sae thought in frustration. Shaking her head and rolling her eyes, she made an audible "Tsk!" sound with her mouth out of petty annoyance. She watched them in earnest, wondering if Iwai, having a real dick, made all the difference in the world for Teddie's pleasure. ("Must be a gay thing. Anyway, I might as well get started too.") She wrote off the minor offense and undid her pants, sliding them off completely. Bottomless, she sat down in a nearby chair and spread her legs as wide and obscenely as she could. Then started openly masturbating before the two preoccupied men. Gradually, she got herself in the mood until she was finally barking out demands as anticipated. "Pull his hair." She said in an authoritative tone. Iwai obliged and unwittingly yanked Teddie's wig off.

"Whoops.. Heh." He said in amusement.

"Whatever. Grab the back of his neck then." Sae pivoted, not nearly as amused. She was too aroused for humor by that point and had a desire for sexual violence moreso than anything funny. Iwai complied and she then told him to shove Teddie's face into a pillow. He did so and caused Teddie to scream louder in ecstasy. "Damnit, he's enjoying this too much..! I feel like he's being cheeky or deliberately trying to mock me..!" She muttered to herself through gritted teeth. They apparently didn't hear her and Sae was getting frustrated with their mutual display of consent. She tried to compensate for their lack of visual stimuli by moving her hand faster and nearly fisted herself. ("This isn't working. I need to see some kind of rape action or drama.") She wondered if there was another way to spice things up as she looked around the room. Searching for anything they could use, her eyes landed on her purse that was sitting on the floor next to the chair the whole time.

"Ah-ha~!" When an idea came to her, she reached down inside her purse and pulled out the model gun she got from Iwai. When Iwai noticed what Sae was holding, his eyes went wide in shock before he recognized the object. She gave him a knowing smile and placed a single finger over her lips, signaling for him to not tell Teddie it was fake. Tucking the gun away inside her blazer, she spoke to Iwai in particular. "Aren't you ready to cum yet? You've been going at it for a while now." He nodded and let go of Teddie's neck so that he could lay his full body down on top of him. Resting his weight on Teddie's back, Iwai maneuvered his arms around so that he'd get Teddie in a headlock. In that position, he power topped his way to orgasm. After he came, he rolled off of him and noticed how Teddie didn't move in response. Instead of rolling over to lie face up, he remained motionless. Iwai lightly nudged his shoulder to see if he was okay.

"Hey, you alright?" He asked. When there was no answer, he propped himself up on the bed and checked Teddie's neck for a pulse. "Shit, I must have squeezed too hard and made him pass out." He then physically rolled Teddie's unconscious body over himself so that he could breath more easily.

"That is so hot.." Sae said with a flushed face upon hearing Iwai's observation. Arching an eyebrow at her reaction, Iwai had to ask.

"Do you even care about what happens this guy?"

"Oh please." Sae responded with an expression and flick of the wrist to imply dismissal. She pulled the model gun back out of her clothes and stared at it while she spoke. "He's more of a toy to me than anything. A very durable toy. One that I'm paying for in case you were wondering." Iwai looked down at Teddie then back at Sae.

"You mean he's a prostitute?" He asked and Sae simply nodded. "Well that explains a lot. What were you planning on doing with that anyway? Pointing it at him?" He referred to the gun in her hands.

"Yeah, but it doesn't seem like he's going to wake up any time soon so let's do something else." Sae put the gun back in her purse and got up to walk over to the bed. Grabbing a box of tissue wipes on the nightstand, she used them to clean Iwai's dick herself until she decided it was sufficiently sanitized. She then got on the bed with them and squatted over Teddie's face, bracing herself on the headboard. "I haven't cum yet and I've been needing to all day. Fuck me." She said casually.

"Okay, sure. But this position is kind of awkward, you know? It's not the most suitable position for penetration." He said to her matter of factly. Sae shook her head and sighed.

"I know that, but it doesn't matter. I just want to make sure my pussy rains all over this faggot's face while we do it. Then after you cum inside me I'm going to push it out into his mouth." Iwai let out a small laugh at Sae's debaucherous malcontent.

"And now the lady wants to top her Ménage à trois night off with a bit of cuckoldry? Touché~" Iwai commented in his best French accent. He got himself hard again and gave Sae exactly what she wanted. Their sex was short and sweet. She came relatively fast and he did so likewise when she squeezed on his dick with her pussy. As expected, Teddie's unconscious face got rained on. After he came inside her, Iwai watched Sae force the other man's mouth open to spew out the mixture of their orgasms into it. "Welp, there goes my seed. Right down another guy's hatch. Courtesy of a sadistic woman's whim. I'm not sure if I should feel smug or self-conscious." Iwai joked. Sae had an urge to get in another quicky by rapidly stroking her clit as she leaned over Teddie. To her satisfaction, she squirted on his face when she came again for the second time. Her juices made an even bigger mess that splashed onto the pillow as well.

Once it was all over, the two of them put their pants back on. Sae left Teddie his payment on the nightstand with a minuscule tip as a bonus for his services. Without waking him up, they left the hotel without him. She waited until they were outside to talk to Iwai more personally. "So.. you don't care anymore?" She asked him out of the blue.

"Say what now?" Iwai responded, turning his head towards her. Looking straight ahead instead of at the man next to her, Sae elaborated.

"'Don't answer that, I've already seen enough of your demons.' What ever happened to 'I've got your back in more ways than one'?" Iwai took a moment to recall saying the words she quoted.

"Oh! Oh.. No, I didn't mean it that way. I only said it like that because somebody else was there. Of course I still care about you. I just figured that wasn't the best time to get too personal. I'm open now though if you wanna talk about it." He reassured her of his stance. Sae shook her head no and looked down at the ground.

"Not really, I'm just glad to know you're still there for me." She hugged him out of appreciation as she did once before and they parted ways for the night.

[10/16 - 10/19]

[10/20 Daytime: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Suspicion ~]

A few uneventful days after her rendezvous with Iwai and Teddie, Sae had an unannounced visitor while Makoto was away at class. "So what do I owe the pleasure?" She asked Mitsuru after letting her in.

"We managed to install a back door to Wonderland's mainframe in Alice's lab, thanks to Futaba's help. So we can access the Shadownet now without having to physically be there at ground zero, where the heart is. By accessing remotely, we can go in without worrying about our Persona's turning against us. That also means we can't summon them either though. What this all means for 'you' is that you should be able to go back in there without the risk of losing consciousness." Mitsuru informed her.

"Oh, well that's good news. But why did you have to come all the way out here to tell me that? Couldn't you have just called or sent a text?" Sae asked reasonably. Mitsuru looked at Sae's phone sitting on the table and shook her head no.

"That's the other thing. We think Alice might be monitoring our communications. Or more specifically, ALL communications, given the nature of what her lab was made to do. So even though there's a slim chance, we don't want to risk her eavesdropping. If she found out about our back door, she could patch the exploit Futaba found. So we have to tread carefully."

Sae nodded in response and placed a hand on her chin. "I see. That makes sense. Speaking of Futaba, is she working for you now?" She asked tangentially. Mitsuru smiled and shook her head.

"No, but she's quite the prodigy. We offered her an internship and she said she'd think about it. She's worried about becoming the next Alice if she were to work for us. As if the Kirijo Group didn't have quite the reputation already.." She answered, showing her remorse. Sae could tell Mitsuru must have felt somewhat responsible for Alice, despite her being an unorthodox oversight.

"It's not your fault you know.. You didn't make Alice the way she is.." She tried to console Mitsuru in somber tone. Sae wished she could have told her about Alice's past without revealing her own, but Mitsuru merely shrugged it off.

"I know. I just can't help but think of how history always seems to repeat itself. Even when we have good intentions, they backfire. But yeah, that's all I came here to tell you. Whenever you need our resources for your case, contact me. We'll need to use some sort of secret code that only we would know what it means ... How about the word 'queen'?" Sae instantly cringed at her suggestion, unable to hide her disapproval.

"Of all words.. Why that one?" She asked as her eye started to twitch.

"No particular reason. I used to be called the execution queen and it seems fitting. Seeing as how I plan to execute them for running their operations under my domain." Mitsuru said nonchalantly with a cold blank stare at her own fingernails. Sae studied her for a moment, trying to gauge just how serious she was about the sentiment. When she figured Mitsuru really wasn't the type of woman to be trifled with, she acquiesced.

"Alright.. So I just text you the word 'queen' if I need to use that PSVR thing again and you'll send someone to pick me up?" In response to Sae's question, Mitsuru pulled out her own phone.

"Yes. Just text that word and where you want us to pick you up." She said and began to leave. Sae saw her out the door and as soon as Mitsuru was gone, she sat down with her phone to examine it.

("If Alice really is listening in on our conversations then that means.. No, Mitsuru said ALL communications, so maybe it would be like finding a needle in a haystack. I mean, she's only one person, right? She can't possibly sort through that much information by herself. I probably don't need to worry about it. There's enough for me to deal with already without being paranoid about digital espionage.")

[10/20 Evening: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Dark Net ~]

Later in the day, Sae received a few text messages from Takemi about the upcoming Halloween party. ["Just to remind you, it's on the 31st if you're interested. Get yourself a nice costume so you aren't easily recognizable."] Her last message said. Sae thought it over and decided she would go, if only to see who would be there. Her expectations had been lowered since the night Takemi first told her about it, but she was starting to get curious again. Moderately excited, she took out her laptop and did some online shopping for a costume and found the perfect one on Tanaka's Shady Commodities. "Oh yes, this is perfect.. We're going to have a lot of fun together, aren't we?" She said to both herself and her purchase on the screen as she promptly clicked the checkout button. With expedited shipping, her costume would arrive in two business days. Which gave her plenty of time to prepare for the party.

[10/20 Late Night: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Beneath the Mask -rain, instrumental version- ~]

That night, Sae lied awake in her bed unable to fall asleep, despite the calming heavy rain outside. The light of her phone illuminated her face in the darkness as she stared at Takemi's messages. Many thoughts crossed her mind, of which several she forced herself to not think about. She concentrated on thinking about the party, psyching herself up with anticipation for it. "But it's so risky.." She whispered to herself. If anyone there knew who she was it could spell disaster for her personal life and her career. "Best case scenario, someone will try to blackmail me.." Pessimistically, she resigned herself to her more preferred choice of annihilation. As long as whoever was blackmailing her kept their mouth shut, Sae felt she could deal with it. Whether they wanted money, power and influence or sexual favors, nothing could be more humiliating to her than a former prosecutor facing that kind of prosecution.

"(sigh) I'm over thinking it.." She took at deep breath and put her phone down. After about a minute she picked it back up again and started looking at porn. ("There's only one way to clear your head at night when you can't fall asleep.") She thought as she began to masturbate. She wore nothing but a t-shirt and panties under the sheets, which made her fingers' job easier. After a few minutes of deciding what she was in the mood for, she settled on watching gay porn. "This is your fault, Iwai and Teddie.." She mumbled at the absent duo. Rather than opting for a video with crossdressing, she chose one where the participants had a large enough age gap between them that they could viewed as a father and son. With her phone in one hand, she used the other to play with her breasts a little, then reached back down into her panties. She pinched and rubbed her clit while occasionally dipping her fingers in to keep them wet. She came the moment the 'dad' did in the video and finally put her phone away for the night. "(sigh) Much better." She exhaled with sigh of relief before falling fast asleep.

[10/21 - 10/30]

[10/31 Evening: Unknown Residence, Halloween Party]  
[~ The Whims of Fate ~]

Ten days later, Sae arrived at the designated house with the familiar brick wall surrounding it. She wore the 'costume' that she'd bought online with some additional makeup to accentuate her eyes. Along with black lipstick and yellow contacts for good measure. Her outfit consisted of an elegant, glossy black evening dress with long gloves and an open back. The torso area was split, laced in fishnet and topped with a spiked black choker around her neck. She complemented the dress with fishnet stockings that were connected to a garter belt she wore underneath. "I'm going as -you- tonight, not me.." She said to her reflection in the pocket mirror she held in her palm. Behind Sae, her personal escort to the party approached.

"Hey, I can't believe you actually got here before me. I almost didn't even recognize you. If only it weren't for that ass. You look fabulous." Takemi said, obviously impressed with her. Sae put the mirror away and greeted her back.

"Thanks. Hopefully if there's anyone I know in there they'll spend more time looking at my ass than my face ... And I see you didn't bother wearing a costume at all." She noted, feeling somewhat disappointed that Takemi only wore her usual outfit with the lab coat.

"I'll be getting totally naked as soon as possible so there's not much of a reason for me to wear one." Takemi made no effort to hide her indifference or her identity. "Besides, all I need is my lab coat to attract anyone with a medical fetish. I'm always looking for new guinea pigs who'll let me experiment on them." She added, opening her coat to reveal she had nothing on under it. Sae admired Takemi's audacious attitude. It gave her the impression that what they were about to partake in was a routine affair for her.

"If I recall correctly, you said they have these kind of parties once a month, right? Is it always the same people or different folks? ... Alice isn't going to be in there, is she?" Sae turned her gaze towards the house apprehensively.

"No. Alice never attends any of our events. She likes to keep a low profile, so low that nobody's ever seen her in person. So you can relax on that front. Just enjoy yourself tonight and have fun." Takemi reassured her and rang the doorbell. The host answered on the intercom and she gave them the password for entry. Upon entering the house, Sae looked around and estimated that there must have been at least thirty people there. They varied by age, race, ethnicity and gender. It was mostly adults, like Takemi said there would be, and a few children. All of the kids wore dog collars with nicknames etched into them. Amongst the individuals at the party was a transgender woman who really stood out from the rest. She had long pink hair, a white tanktop and denim shorts that had a pair of handcuffs attached to the belt loop. The only way Sae could tell she was transgender was by the dick hanging out of her shorts. She played with it very enticingly.

"Quite the crowd.." Sae leaned over to quietly speak into Takemi's ear.

"There's more than usual, I'll give it that. Must be due to the free candy. See anyone you recognize?" Takemi attributed the extra attendance to the fact that it was Halloween. Sae carefully observed every man in the room she could see, and paid no mind to the women. Not only did she not perceive them as a possible threat, she worked in a predominantly male industry that didn't afford her many female acquaintances.

"No, they're all wearing masks but I can tell most of these people aren't even Japanese." Sae answered, feeling at ease that her secret would remain safe with Takemi and no one else. While she took in the environment, Sae noticed the apparent gambling that was going on. People were playing pool, poker and blackjack. Given the number of adults and scarce amount of kids available, she knew what they had to be gambling over and it wasn't money. ("It's just like my dream..") She thought and subconsciously raised a hand to her mouth. Her situational awareness came full circle and Takemi noticed the gesture. Leaning forward to look at Sae's face, she questioned her body language.

"What?" She asked, then looked around the room for anything that could have caught her friend by surprise.

"Nothing.. It's nothing.." Sae chose not to delve into the personal subject but Takemi made an effort to help her get more comfortable anyway. She lead her around the house in order to mingle. The adults who weren't gambling either watched porn on a big screen TV or they were having sex with each other. Sae met with the transgender woman she noticed earlier, whom introduced herself as Erica. But for the sake of her 'costume' she asked to be called Poison. Her glorious pink hair turned out to be a wig when Sae noticed the woman's natural red color via her eyebrows.

After talking to various different people for a while, Sae got thirsty and helped herself to a drink. She grabbed one that was being carried around on a platter. Of all the sexual activities going on, the most noteworthy spectacles were those that involved any of the few available children. And each one had their own little audience. Two of the shows on display really caught Sae's attention. The first was a couple of lesbians trying to trib each other with a little girl's head between their legs. Their onlookers chanted the words 'crush her!' over and over. The other was Erica, who raped a handcuffed boy from behind while her audience egged her on. The men around them yelled 'break him in!' as Erica clearly relished the experience. Sae wagered the boy, who's collar had the name 'Sweet Pea' on it, was probably an anal virgin. And that no doubt had a major effect on Erica's pleasure. "So anything goes here, huh?" Sae asked Takemi without taking her eyes off of Erica.

"Pretty much. As long as you win them in a fair game, you can do whatever you want to these kids. Just don't leave any marks. That's the rule. They're trained to take the abuse but we can't have people getting too carried away." She answered matter-of-factly. After a moment of silence between them, Takemi spoke again. "Alright, it seems you're comfortable enough to be by yourself now. I'm going to go get some action. This is the only time and place where I get to overindulge on men without the extra baggage." Sae watched her go as she walked over to a group of men offering gangbang services to the women of the party. She thought about joining them but decided it wasn't worth the mess. She didn't want to ruin or have to take off her luxurious costume. She put way too much time and effort into it. And she really felt like she overdressed for the occasion when she saw Takemi merely slip out of her lab coat to be devoured. Turning her head away with an ironic sense of shame, Sae was startled when the party's host made a sudden announcement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, step right up for a chance to win two for the price of one and a private room to enjoy them in~!" In the foyer stood the announcer with an adorable pair of twins by their side, a boy and girl. They were identical twins and the youngest kids Sae had seen at the party so far. She approached them along with several other people who weren't already partaking in any activities. Their collars had the names 'Hansel' and 'Gretel' on them respectively, and they appeared to be approximately ten years old. The host explained the rules of the game they would play for the privilege of having them both. The offer was to have them all to oneself in a bedroom of their choosing upstairs. Sae acknowledged the rewards were certainly more tempting than those of the other games. Where the winner only got one child and no type of privacy. She lapped the twins up with her eyes and decided to try her luck of the draw. They were the right height for what she had in mind. Sae figured if she was going to get her pedo on, it would definitely be better in a secluded place rather than out on the floor like a savage. The host pulled out a pair of dice and said whoever guessed the right number would be the winner.

("Ugh! That's bullshit.") She thought, annoyed at the odds. As she predicted, she did not win. ("Of course it would be a guy who wins! Men always do! Everything is -their- game, isn't it?!") She mentally protested, extremely disappointed and agitated. Sae did her best to hide the scorn she felt by turning her back on them and walking away. Grabbing another drink off one of the platters, she prepared herself for the inevitable. Getting drunk enough to do it in front of everyone like everybody else.

"Excuse me, Miss?" A familiar voice said from behind her. Sae turned around to see the host had come to make her a proposal on behalf of the man who'd won. "The gentleman back there says he would like to offer his prize to you in exchange for letting him watch. He says you are extraordinarily beautiful and that it would give him even more pleasure to see you enjoying them than himself." The host explained, humbly waiting for her answer. Sae looked over his shoulder at the man in question. He smiled and gave her a friendly wave.

"Seriously?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes. What say you?" The host confirmed. Sae took a brief moment to consider it.

"I'd really prefer to have them in private but if it's just one guy watching I guess that wouldn't be so bad. Especially if he's such a gentleman." She weighed the pros and cons in her mind and came to the conclusion that his offer seemed reasonable enough. "Okay, fine. So long as he doesn't try anything." Sae finally answered. She wasn't interested in having sex with him and wanted to make sure that much was clear. As long as he understood no touching would be allowed, she didn't care if he planned to jerk off while he watched. She knew that obviously came with the territory of voyeurism.

"Excellent." The host said and gestured for her to follow him. As he lead the four of them upstairs, someone called out to Sae from behind her.

"Excuse me, Ma'am, would you like to use one of these?" Sae turned around to see a small, young Caucasian woman with long blond hair and blue eyes holding a tray of various sex toys. Until now, she'd only seen people carrying around drinks. Yet this person was offering up toys ranging from dildos to strap-ons to butt plugs and anal beads.

"S-Sure.." She said hesitantly and picked the strap-on.

"Have fun~!" The young woman said with an enthusiastic and knowing smile. Sae estimated the girl's age to be somewhere in the ballpark of fifteen. Yet she had an aura of maturity about her that suggested she might be older than she looked. That or she must have had experience beyond her years.

"Madam, are you coming?" The host asked ahead of Sae. He broke her out of her distraction from atop the stairs where they waited for her patiently.

"Y-Yes! On my way." She replied and rushed up.

[10/31 Late Night: Unknown Residence, Halloween Party]  
[~ A Woman ~]

The host lead them down the second floor hall where he offered them their choice of bedroom to use. There was the daughter's room, which Sae was already familiar with, two mysterious guest rooms and the parent's master bedroom. Knowing the daughter's room wouldn't have a big enough bed, she wasted no time picking the master bedroom. The man agreed with her choice and the host left the four of them alone inside, closing the door behind him. The room was surprisingly quiet, given the amount of noise going on downstairs. "This room must be soundproofed." Sae said and started searching around it for any hidden cameras. She could guess what kind of shenanigans the owners got up to in there that needed such a thing as soundproofing.

While she was too busy examining the room to notice, the man had stripped completely and got on the bed. It surprised her when she turned around to see him laying on his side, staring at her hungrily. "Whoa! We haven't even started yet and you're stroking already?!" There was a pang of fear inside her when she saw him in that state so suddenly. ("He could easily rape me right now if he wanted to..") She worried while looking at his erection. Despite the fact that she made it clear she didn't want to have sex with him, Sae couldn't help but admire the size of his manhood. ("I guess it's true what they say about black men. Even though he's probably mixed.") She figured, based on his bronze complexion. The man finally spoke to her for the first time when he answered.

"Yeah, just imagining what you're going to do to them and making sure nobody else sees it but me is a major turn on." His crass response gave her an ironic sense of relief. Knowing he really was more interested in watching than doing helped her feel a little more comfortable around him. Sae walked over to his side of the bed where the twins stood silently. Standing behind them now, she placed a hand on each of their shoulders. They were half as tall as she was due to the high heels she wore. It put their heads in perfect alignment with her pelvic region.

"Well then, since I guess you're technically my benefactor for this, what do you want to see?" She asked, darting her eyes back and forth from his face to his crotch.

"I wanna see you do whatever you wanna do, that's all ... But if you're asking me for suggestions, I say find out what that mouth do." He replied, nodding his head slightly at the boy. He was apparently more keen towards the other male in the room, which made Sae curious about his preferences.

"Do you like him more than her?" She asked, looking at the boy as well.

"Not necessarily, but I do like them more when they look like girls." He said, making note of how the boy was nearly indistinguishable from his twin sister. "Plus, it's a vicarious thing. The best kind of sexual experience a man can ever have is when he's a boy. No matter what kind of sex he might have in his adult life, nothing compares to being with a grown woman as a kid. It messes you up. Like getting behind the wheel of a car before you learned to ride a bike." He added, making Sae blink in response a few times. She was taken aback by the revelation.

"Oh really..? You sound like you've got first hand experience with this." She couldn't help becoming curious about the man now that he was sharing intimate details about himself.

"Yeah. You could say this is close to how my mama treated me. I'll tell you about it later if you want. For now, let's just get this show on the road before it gets too late." He digressed. Sae knew it wasn't the best time to pry but when he mentioned his mother she had an urge to know more. Specifically what kind of woman she was.

"Alright, but at least tell me one thing, was your mother Japanese?" She asked and the man simply nodded to confirm. Sae smiled with an uncanny sense of pride. She tried to visualize the story behind his family and it ironically pleased her to know that it wasn't always men who created future pedos. Such as the case was with Alice and herself. "So then.. you want to see me make him suck this?" She got back on the subject by holding up the strap-on she held in her hand. The man looked at it with a face of pure contempt.

"No! Why would I want to watch somebody sucking on plastic? I wanna see him eat your pussy. Or make his sister do it if you want, I don't care." He scoffed in reply at her unintentional misdirection.

"Whoa, okay. No need to get so uppity. I just assumed you were like most guys and wanted to see some kind of dick being sucked. How about I try both at the same time?" She made an effort to quell his temper and tossed away the strap-on.

"That would be perfect, now you're speaking my language." He said approvingly.

"Alright you two. One of you get in front and the other take the back." She instructed the twins. The boy got in position in front of her while the girl stood behind. Sae reached under the slit of her dress and pulled down her panties. The stockings and garter belt kept them from going all the way down so she hiked up her dress and told the two to get under it. They did so while she stood up straight and parted her legs just wide enough to give the boy access. She placed a hand on his head through the dress and applied a gentle amount of pressure. "You know what to do, right?" The boy started lightly licking her but his tongue only touched her inner thigh. She bent her knees a little and pressed his face into her more firmly so that his mouth would reach her where she wanted it to. She used her other hand to press the girl's face into her ass. It was her nose that poked Sae's asshole when she was apparently refusing to lick it. "What are you doing? Use your tongue!" Sae ordered and pushed her face in harder. The girl shook her head no while her face was wedged in between Sae's cheeks.

"Seems the lil bitch doesn't wanna listen. Are you gonna force her?" The man asked with a mischievous grin.

"Is that what you want to see? Me being aggressive with them?" She gave the man a sidelong glance while awaiting his response. When he didn't answer her directly and only kept the same expression, Sae interpreted his silence as tacit approval. "Alright.. But you better not tell anybody about this.." Her words turned the man's grin into a huge smile.

"Not a soul, I swear." Sae straightened her legs back so that she stood tall again and stepped out so that she was no longer between the twins. She patted the boy on the head for his obedience and took a moment to stare at the girl with stern look of disapproval. Carefully considering her next move to be a point of no return, Sae ostensibly crossed the line by slapping the girl hard across the face. Gretel collapsed onto the floor and started crying as Hansel rushed to her aid. He held her tight and rubbed the back of her head to soothe her. Sae watched them and never felt more guilty in her life.

She looked back at the man to see if he'd reprimand her for her actions, to hopefully say that was going too far. When all he did was shrug and kept stroking his dick she knew that wasn't a good sign. He would undoubtedly push her to do unscrupulous things she would otherwise never do on her own. He was just like Takemi in that regard and Sae wasn't in the mood anymore because of it. She knew she wouldn't be able to enjoy herself the way she wanted with a total stranger watching. His presence made her feel like she wasn't really in control. She wanted to call it quits but knew leaving him with blue balls could turn into a bad situation. Either for herself or the kids. Figuring the best way out would be to get him off herself, Sae opted to use her body as a diversion. "Let me be honest with you, I'm not really into this. But if you want to fuck me, I'll let you. Let's just leave the kids out of it." She suggested, hoping a straightforward offer would work. The man arched his eyebrows at her at first then laughed.

"Heh, all I wanted was to see you in action but damn, alright." He said cheerfully. Sae still didn't actually want to have sex with him but she was glad he accepted her offer without making a fuss. The man moved to the center of the bed and laid flat on his back for her to get on top. While she prepared herself to mount him by getting out of her panties, the man let her know he saw through her. "Do you always use pussy to change a man's mind so easily?" Sae paused at his remark, moderately insulted. However, she acknowledged he was right.

"No.. Not always." She answered simply, remembering how she once did the same thing to Iwai, but with her mouth.

[11/01 Morning: Niijima Residence]  
[~ High Pressure ~]

Sae found out the man was a premature ejaculater after less than three minutes of fucking him. He came inside her without warning and it pissed her off so much she left the party without telling Takemi. She rushed home to shower and douche his seed out of her before going to bed too angry to fall asleep. Once she did finally get to sleep, she was woken up only a few hours later by a call from Takemi. "I need to talk to you as soon as possible. Come by my office when you can." She said over the phone.

"What's wrong?" Sae asked, concerned.

"Just get over here, it's urgent." Takemi said and hung up.

"Shit.." Sae cursed silently, knowing whatever the issue was, it wasn't going to be anything good. "As if things couldn't get any worse." She thought and got dressed to go see Takemi.

[11/01 Afternoon: Yongen-Jaya, Takemi Medical Clinic]  
[~ Tension ~]

When Sae got to the clinic, Takemi immediately closed the shop so no one could interrupt them. "Alright, what's going on?" She asked Takemi once they were in the examination room. Takemi had a very serious look on her face when she bounced the question back at her.

"You tell me."

"I don't what what you mean." Sae's brow arched with uncertainty. Takemi gritted her teeth and spoke through them angrily.

"Guess who was at the party last night?" Sae shrugged to show she still had no idea what she was talking about. "ALICE!!" Takemi blurted out.

"WHAT?! Why didn't you tell me?!" Sae shouted back.

"Because I didn't know until just now, when she actually told me!" Takemi exclaimed and pointed at her computer monitor.

"You didn't see her?!" In her rage, Sae forgot about Wonderland's greatest strength, which was also their greatest weakness.

"No!! Because I don't know what she looks like, remember?! No one's ever seen her in person before because she doesn't go to these things!" Takemi yelled, then paused for a moment to continue speaking more calmly. "At least, not until now, when you showed up ... Want to know what else she said?" Sae's mouth hung open while she gave Takemi a blank stare. "She thanked me for bringing YOU there. What the hell does that mean? I didn't tell her you were coming, much less the fact that I invited you. So how else could she have known? That's what's bothering me the most. Are you in cahoots with her? Have you two been playing me all along?!" Takemi's suspicion was escalating and Sae knew she had to act fast.

"No! I swear! Listen, this is really complicated and I don't have time to explain, but let me see your phone." Sae pleaded with her. Takemi hesitated at first but then reluctantly gave Sae her phone. She checked Takemi's contact list and saw that she was on it with her full name, Sae Niijima. And the text Takemi sent her several days ago about the party was right there. "Goddammit.." She muttered with a facepalm and handed Takemi back her phone.

"What?" Takemi asked and looked at her phone.

"(sigh) Alice is monitoring your communications. And she used you to get to me." Sae replied, crestfallen.

"How do you know she's.. Wait, get to you how? Do you think she might be trying to kill you?" Takemi's stance shifted from anger to concern for her friend's safety. Sae shook her head.

"No.. If she wanted to kill me she could have a done it by now. I have to go, I just remembered something." She excused herself when she thought of the one person who knows what Alice looks like. But before she could leave, Takemi stopped her.

"Hold on, let me get a blood sample from you. I want to test it for toxicity levels in case she tried to poison your drinks last night." Sae figured that idea couldn't hurt and it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Fine. But I doubt she gave me anything. There was only one poison at that party last night and she was too busy punching a hole in Sweet Pea's v-card to worry about me."

[11/01 Daytime: Kirijo Private Airlines]  
[~ Recall ~ Hint ~]

["QUEEN, ASAP"] Sae texted to Mitsuru and they had her picked up, along with Futaba, in no time. They were on route in a private jet to an as yet undisclosed location where the backdoor to Wonderland's mainframe was being housed. During their flight, discussions regarding Sae's hastiness couldn't be avoided.

"Mind telling us why you were in such a rush? What happened? Is there a new development in the case? Give us some kind of information." Mitsuru demanded of Sae, who sat next to Futaba across from herself and Akihiko. Sae knew they all must have had to drop whatever they were doing for her sake and it would be discourteous to leave them in the dark.

"Do you remember when I described Alice's appearance on the Shadownet and you said she looks nothing like that? I should have asked this back then, but can you tell me what she DOES look like in real life?" She inquired of Mitsuru, who nodded in response. She looked down and placed a hand on her chin while she thought of the best way to describe her.

"Alice is a petite woman who looks unnaturally young for her age. I believe she's around thirty years old but she looks close to fifteen. If you can imagine Futaba with blond hair and blue eyes, that would be her profile down to a T." Mitsuru explained succinctly. Sae looked at Futaba, who looked back at her innocently. Studying her face, she tried to remember anyone at the party last night who fit that description.

"Oh my God.." She said when the realization struck her like a bolt of lightning.

"Do you think you've seen her somewhere?" Mitsuru pressed. Sae wasn't sure how to answer her without revealing her own involvement with Wonderland. She took a moment to improvise a white lie they would believe that wasn't too far from the truth.

"..No, but I'm going to act like I have when I go in there to talk to her again, alone. I think she might be targeting me personally due to my prolific status as a prosecutor. They probably already know I'm the one working on the case against them. Therefore, if I'm right, I can use myself as bait to lure her out like before. But this time, she can't hurt me, right? Then I'll be able to get her to talk." Mitsuru thought it over and Sae could tell they were all convinced.

"You have a point. Normally I'd say we should go in there with you, since there's no threat of our Personas attacking us, but if she'll only show herself to you then we'd just be getting in the way." Mitsuru reasoned, resting back into her seat and looking at Akihiko, who nodded in agreement. Moments later, they landed at the facility where the equipment they would use to remotely access Wonderland was located. Sae had no idea where they were and the place was clearly a secret base of sorts. Inside, there was a rig similar to the one in Alice's lab and they wasted no time getting Sae dived in.

[11/01 Evening: Kirijo Secret Base, PSVR]  
[~ The Days When My Mother Was There ~]

"Come on out, Alice! I know you're in here!" Sae yelled inside the virtual space. It looked exactly the same as before and she anticipated her adversary would make another grand entrance. She did so and Sae shielded her eyes from the flash of light. When the same familiar figure of a naked woman with long black hair and red eyes appeared before her, Sae spoke through it to the user. "You hide behind that buxom avatar of yours but I know what you really look like now. Is that the kind of body you -wish- you had? Poor little Alice.." She said tauntingly. There was an awkward moment of silence as Sae realized Alice wouldn't be provoked so easily.

"Perhaps that's true. I actually forgot this is what I look like in here." Alice finally responded after the silence. She held up a hand to examine it, then cupped one of her breasts. "But she's not really an avatar. This is Mariana, my Persona." She said nonchalantly, bewildering Sae.

"What?!"

"She's my psychological conduit to Wonderland's network. And the vessel in which I navigate through, monitor and control the Shadownet. Isn't she beautiful?" Alice said proudly and conjured up a hand mirror from thin air to admire 'herself' in it. It was a weird sight to see someone actually casting a spell in person for Sae but she reminded herself they weren't in the real world.

"So you're basically saying that's your character in this.. video game?" Sae retorted, she'd heard enough about Personas and wanted to diminish Alice's claim to one.

"Sort of, but I'm not sitting at a desk in front of a computer or anything. This is me, my other self as I found her on the dark web. It's all thanks to the vast amount of resources the Kirijo Group afforded me. When you see Mitsuru, tell her I have a Persona now too and that it's much, MUCH more powerful than hers. It enables me to access my old lab from anywhere through my mind alone." Alice boasted, turning her attention back at Sae upon dismissing the mirror. "Speaking of my old lab, you aren't there right now, are you? How are you in here then and why can't I feel the presence of your psyche?" She asked when she noticed there was something different about how Sae was accessing the Shadownet compared to before. Reaching a hand out as if to feel for something, Alice started showing signs of worry. "Wait, this isn't right. I should be able to-" Sae interrupted her before she could finish.

"Make me have a nervous breakdown by forcing a Persona I don't have to come out? Thus rendering me unconscious for two days in the process? Yeah, that's not going to work this time, princess. You can't touch me anymore, physically or mentally." She said in mocking tone of voice, deliberately choosing the word 'princess' to address her former queen defiantly. Alice frowned and pouted like a spoiled child in response.

"All I ever wanted was to play with you again, Sae." She said disappointedly.

"Uh-huh. Well, whatever your idea of 'playing' is, it's extremely exploitative and I only came here to talk." Sae responded, causing Alice to apparently cheer up a little.

"Talk? About what? You really aren't going to run away from me again?" Her composure shifted to that of someone who was being promised a gift they wanted and Sae merely nodded.

"First of all, tell me what exactly do you want from me? Our mutual acquaintance, who I know you've been spying on, said you were at that party last night. Which from what I hear, is very out of character for you. She also said you thanked her for bringing me. Why?" She asked, giving Alice time to explain herself.

"Oh, Sae.. I thanked her because I was so glad to finally see you again in person. You have no idea how much I've missed you. So when I saw you there, I knew it meant Takemi successfully made you one of us." Alice said wistfully.

"Let's get one thing straight. I am NOT one of you. I was there as part of my pursuit of justice. Because I'm going to take you down. And you don't miss me, you miss molesting me. Which I'd love to see you try to pull off now with how tiny you are." Sae argued, deliberately challenging the woman she'd outgrown to attempt another assault on her.

"(sigh) You're such a hypocrite. Try to take me down if that's what you want, but I know it truly isn't. You might want to get rid of 'me' but you don't want to get rid of Wonderland itself. Admit it, they provide a much needed sexual outlet for you." Alice ignored Sae's challenge and showed doubt in her convictions. "Besides, that was my father's doing. He abused both of us, including me. Why do you think I turned out this way? And you for that matter. But at least you were spared a life of endless experiments and drug abuse that resulted in stunted growth. You became a full woman while I kept the body of an underage girl." Her face dawned an expression of sadness and for a moment, Sae saw through the voluptuous avatar. She pictured Alice as she was in real life and for the first time ever, felt pity for her.

"That's right.. You do look unusually young for your age. It was in the back of my mind when you smiled at me last night but I couldn't quite place it. That was you, wasn't it? The girl who offered me the toys. What happened between you and your father? I heard the rumor about him being Wonderland's founder and how you took his place as the new leader." She asked, finally showing Alice some compassion.

"Yes, that was me. As for why I look the way I do, it's because my dad kept me on hormone suppressors. In addition to subjecting me to various experiments that insured his little girl stayed little for as long as possible.. I look young because that's the way he wanted me, basically. Sometimes I wish I had the body of a mature woman, like this, but looking like a young girl has its own advantages. Especially when you're around a lot of pedophiles. That's how I got rid of my father." Alice explained, then caught herself on the last thing she said by covering up her mouth. Her gesture implied she was saying 'oops' but her slip was clearly intentional. Sae arched an eyebrow at her then reiterated the question.

"So yeah, about your dad. Did he start Wonderland or not? What happened to him?"

Alice nodded, averting her gaze away bashfully. "Yeah, he started it before I was born. Then I took over after he died." She left it at that and Sae folded her arms impatiently.

"And how, pray tell, did he die, Alice?" Sae pressured her for more details, using the old interrogation tactic of addressing the person by name.

"Promise you won't try to convict me for it, Miss Star Prosecutor turned Ace Attorney." Alice feigned an innocent smile with her cute demeanor.

"That'll probably be the -only- promise I can make. I don't care how the asshole died, I'm just glad he's dead." Sae said frankly. Alice's smile grew and she clapped her hands together in delight before confessing.

"It's such a relief to know you feel the same way. I was worried you might not understand, but of course you of all people would. Anyway, I had him snuffed out by his four 'generals' as he called them. All it took was a little convincing that I would make a better leader and they loved the idea. Two of them even said such a thing sounded poetic. But that was their silver tongues talking. They thought I would be easier to manipulate than my father. Well, they were dead wrong about that. Literally, and only a few seconds after my dad was. That's when I realized I'd have to stay in the shadows, away from our other members."

Sae's own competitive nature and her experience from working in a male dominated society resonated with Alice's plight. She knew men often underestimated women no matter what field they were in. "Surely someone in Wonderland must know what you look like? How else could you have gotten into that party if there was no one there to recognize you?" She asked, wondering how Alice managed to hide in plain sight so literally.

"...I can't tell you that. You already know too much." Alice answered coyly.

"Why not? Come on, don't go getting cagey on me now. What difference does it make?" Sae queried to her, feeling somewhat frustrated that their rapport wasn't quite where she thought it was. "Fine." She relented when Alice wouldn't answer.

"Enough about me now, I've been the only one talking this whole time. Tell me about you, Sae. How has your life been?" Alice turned the conversation to her and caught Sae off guard.

"Me? Uh.. Well.." She volunteered what little information about herself she thought was necessary to keep Alice engaged.

"You've lived an extraordinarily ordinary life, haven't you?" Alice said sarcastically upon listening to Sae's highly abridged, improvised autobiography.

"Well, I wouldn't call having to raise my sister ordinary, but compared to you, yeah, I guess it was." Sae shrugged off her own hardships to compliment her adversary's.

"Is she the reason why you haven't gotten married yet or had any kids?" Alice hit her with an unexpectedly rude and personal question regarding Makoto.

"...I try not to blame her for that. Besides, I'm too focused on my career anyway. I don't have time for kids." She said coldly, causing Alice to respond with a knowing smile.

"I've seen many women like you join us over the years and they always wanted the same thing from the children." Alice left the implication in the air.

"Which was?" Sae asked, unamused.

"We called it short term bonding." She answered curtly, causing Sae's eye to twitch at the word bonding.

"I'm not even going to ask what that means ... Anyway, there's something else I'm curious about. How did you awaken a Persona?" Sae changed the subject back to a more relevant topic and Alice's eyes widened with wonder.

"You know about awakenings?"

"Yeah, it's a long story. Let's just say I'm surrounded by 'several' Persona users in my life.." Sae grumbled, turning her head away to indicate it was a fact that annoyed her. She could tell Alice was visually impressed before she started explaining her awakening process to her.

"Well, you see, my awakening wasn't a typical one. Not on the account of other Persona users. Mine's was ... synthetic. The figure you see before you is the result of my spirit melding with an artificial int-"

[11/01 Late Night: Kirijo Secret Base]  
[~ Between Doors (Persona 3 FES OST) ~]

Alice's speech was cut off when Sae's vision and hearing went completely dark. She came to back in the real world and after gathering her bearings, she became angry. "What happened?! Why did you pull me out?!" She yelled at everyone present.

"You were in there a long time and we started to worry. Also, it's getting late." Mitsuru answered when she showed Sae the current time on her watch. Hours had passed but she'd only felt it to be a few minutes. "Did you find out anything?"

"Yeah.." Sae said after calming down. She told them about how she was able to meet with Alice as planned and the discussions they had. Omitting the details about her personal history with the woman and her father. The most intriguing topic to the other three was Alice's Persona. Sae was about to learn the intricacies behind it right before they broke her connection.

"I'm sorry, if only we'd have waited a little longer, we might know a whole lot more right now." Mitsuru apologized, taking responsibility for the incident since she made the call to pull her out. "So from what I gather, it's her Persona that was controlling ours back then.. And if she can seize control of other people's Personas while the A.I. she created is capable of hacking an android like Aigis, then.." Mitsuru paused to characteristically hold her chin and contemplate. Meanwhile, Futaba spoke up with a theory of her own from the perspective of a hacker.

"Um, guys? I thought there was something that sounded familiar about her Persona's name, Mariana. And when Mitsuru just said 'A.I.' it clicked. I don't think Alice created that A.I., she found it. Or rather, she reached it. There's an urban legend on the internet about something called Mariana's Web. It shares its name with the deepest part of the ocean, the Mariana Trench. Supposedly, that's the deepest part of the net you can go, except you can't. It's not possible with a normal computer or otherwise conventional hardware. Nobody can get there without the most highly sophisticated equipment and superior technological expertise. It's also said that if anyone were to ever actually reach Mariana's Web, there's an extremely powerful A.I. down there. One so advanced it controls the whole internet and holds all of humanity's deepest, darkest secrets. We're not talking about memes here, folks. Imagine a place like the Vatican Archives with one omniscient librarian. Any of this sounding familiar yet?" Leaving them with the open air question, Futaba directed their attention towards the PSVR equipment by pointing at it. Everyone stared at it for a moment and put two and two together when they all simultaneously realized who the other half of the equation was.

"Alice.."

Mitsuru turned her attention to Sae for more pieces to the puzzle. "You said the last thing Alice told you in there was that she obtained her Persona synthetically somehow and that part of it is an A.I. Well, Operation Shadownet was built on the foundation of the dark net, with our most genius programmer, Alice, developing an A.I. to map it out. That was our original design. If she went in too deep and hit Mariana's Web where an already existing, more powerful A.I. overwrote hers, then that might be what took over her lab ... And her while she was in it, using the PSVR. It's possible that such an experience could theoretically force a Persona awakening in someone. All the other A.I. would need is to know which of that person's buttons to push. Which is more than feasible, since it supposedly knows everything about everyone." Mitsuru concluded, waiting to see if Sae had anything else to add.

"Not only that, she called her Persona a melding of her spirit and the A.I. Which makes me wonder if whether it's Alice who's in control of the A.I. Or if it's the A.I. that's in control of her. Either way, I think if we could separate the two somehow, we might be able to severe her connection to the lab. And severely cripple Wonderland in the process. It wouldn't be all that dissimilar to how the Phantom Thieves changed people's hearts, right, Futaba?" Sae passed the question off to her young confidant. Futaba pushed up her glasses while she followed Sae's train of thought.

"Yeah.. If you imagine the A.I. half being like a distorted desire and her Persona being the palace holding it. But this isn't the Metaverse, it's the Shadownet. And if she has so much power in there that she can turn our own Personas against us, that's essentially us risking mental shutdowns if we confront her in there and fail. So while it's safe to access her lab from here, it's basically read only mode. We might be invulnerable to her methods of attack but we also can't attack her directly either." Futaba said to Sae.

"Whatever you two are talking about doesn't make any sense to me. What I'm trying to figure out is why was Alice so open with you? From what you've been saying, it sounds like she told you quite a lot considering the fact that she most likely knows who you are and what you're doing." Akihiko spoke snidely, characteristically breaking his long stint of silence as usual. Sae gave him a disapproving side glance to show she didn't appreciate his persistent insinuations of her. Then, turning her gaze away to imply whatever he thought didn't matter, she responded to him curtly.

"I don't know, maybe she's just overconfident."

He shook his head in annoyance with an audible "Tsk!" Mitsuru didn't approve of his attitude either.

"Akihiko, remind me again why we brought you here?" He threw up a hand in frustration and walked away, going back outside to the plane while he waited for their departure.

"Why is he such an asshole to me?" Sae asked.

"It's not you. He just has a lot of contempt for Alice and Wonderland in general. He's still butthurt over what they made Aigis do to him." Mitsuru replied with an obviously intentional pun.

"Oh right, the futanari thing.." Sae recalled the little incident Mitsuru told her about before.

"Wait, what?! Did you say FUTANARI?!" Futaba exclaimed, shocking the other two women.

"Y-Yes, why..?" Mitsuru said, blushing at Futaba's reaction when she wrapped her arms around their shoulders.

"You've got to tell me about that~! Come on ladies, let's have some girl talk now that Mr. Stickuphisass is gone~"

[11/02 - 11/03]

[11/04 Morning: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Interrogation Room ~]

Sae spent the past few days trying to formulate a method of attack her Persona wielding allies could use against Alice. She even requested Makoto's assistance after explaining the situation to her. Every scenario they went through involved using Sae as bait. She was the only constant while the others were variables in the equation. If Alice would only show herself to Sae, she would have to be the one to lure her out. The plan was to have her access the Shadownet safely from the backdoor they established while the others would access it from Alice's lab. Once Sae was in and had Alice's attention, they would dive in and attack as quick as possible. That was the principal idea, but they had no way of knowing the risks. Alice could possibly swat them down like flies using their own wings. Regardless of them coming at her with a sneak attack or not. While Sae and Makoto were in Sae's home office webbing the variables together on a diagram, their doorbell rang.

"Can you go get that?" She asked Makoto. While she went to answer the door, Sae mulled over their progress and thought of bringing in more help. She didn't want to make Mitsuru come over without a good reason so there was only Futaba, who was currently at school.

"Sis.." Makoto said softly when she came back. Sae turned around to see who she'd let in and saw someone very unexpected.

"Naoto?!" She exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" Makoto looked apprehensive, considering the last time Naoto was in their home, she left Sae distraught for a week. And now she was back again unannounced.

"Hello, Sae. It's been a while." Naoto greeted casually. Sae didn't greet her back, she only stared her in the eyes with uncertainty. "Mind if we come in?" Naoto asked her, referring to Sae's home office as she stood on the other side of the doorway.

"We?" Sae responsed, taking note of their interloper's plural pronoun. Naoto held up a hand over her shoulder to signal somebody on the other side of the wall to reveal themself. Sae was hit with another shocker when she yelled at their other visitor. "Akihiko?!" Makoto nervously looked back and forth between them and her sister. "Why are you both here, together??" She asked again, her uncertainty turning into anger and paranoia. Naoto could see her emotions flaring and finally began to explain.

"Remember when I said there was another Persona user working on the case besides me? He's the one. He's been monitoring your progress and keeping us informed. We appreciate how you've continued to work so hard on the case despite the fact that you were sidelined. That's one of the reasons we came here, to formally thank you on behalf of the SIU. The other reason is we want to work with you." Sae couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"So wait. You were using him to spy on me?? And now that I'm closer to solving the case than you are, you come crawling back for my help?!" She countered. Naoto sighed and turned her head towards Akihiko, giving him an 'I told you so' expression.

"He wasn't spying on -you-. He was spying on the Kirijo Group. You just happened to walk in under his metaphorical microscope and he didn't tell you about it. That's the nature of being undercover. You were basically working together already without realizing it." Naoto said, bursting Sae's bubble, who then pointed an accusing finger at Akihiko and yelled at him.

"But you WORK for the Kirijo Group! You're the principal of their school!"

Akihiko nonchalantly shrugged. "I'm also a former cop and Mitsuru's best friend. That doesn't mean I can't keep an eye on what her company does under her nose." Naoto cleared her throat after he cleared himself.

"Now that we all understand each other, can we get down to business? There's a greater cause in front of us that needs to be dealt with." She entered the room and went straight for the diagram Sae and Makoto set up to observe it.

"Fine." Sae grunted. She filled them in on the plan her and Makoto had been working on and they discussed hypothetical methods of defeating Alice.

"I bet if Joker were here, he could do something.." Makoto said quietly.

"Joker? Who's that?" Naoto asked. Makoto reminisced on her former crush.

"Akira, he was our leader. The only member of the Phantom Thieves who could use multiple Personas." Her answer struck a chord with the other two Persona users in the room.

"We had someone that could do that too. But they're gone now.." Akihiko said remorsefully.

"Us as well, but he can't do it anymore, he can only use one now, last time we checked." Naoto added. They all thought silently for a while until Makoto brought up an idea.

"What if Alice were up against someone with multiple Personas? Do you think she'd have a hard time trying to control them?"

Sae considered it. "Maybe. The way her power works is she 'feels' for the person's 'psyche' as she called it. Which I'm assuming can only be their Persona. And if she felt multiple Personas in a single person, that might throw her off.. It's worth a try. Better than anything else we've come up with. Can you get in touch with Akira?" She asked Makoto.

"No, he's gone off the grid ever since Ms. Kawakami convinced him to marry her.." Makoto answered, shaking her head and looking down at the floor dismally.

"Oh yeah, I do remember you saying something about that. Damnit." Sae cursed in frustration. She thought back on all of the feats the young man she once interrogated had accomplished and had no doubt he could rise to the challenge. If there was anyone capable of conquering Alice, it had to be him. Sae lamented Akira's absence in her mind. ("Who'd have ever thought such a hero could have gone and gotten himself so pussy-whipped..") Making no further progress in their strategy, the group adjourned their impromptu meeting for the day with Naoto and Akihiko leaving shortly after.

[11/04 Late Night: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Disintegration ~]

The rest of the day went by uneventfully and when it came time for bed, Sae couldn't sleep. Her mind raced with thoughts of Akira. Most were logical and work related but some, to her dismay, were carnal. "I wonder what would have happened if he stayed with us instead of Sojiro ... Makoto would have got in the way, that's probably what." She said to herself, thinking of how a boy would most likely set his sights on a girl his age before he would an older woman. ("Not a boy like him though, apparently. He chose to marry his teacher when he could have had any girl he wanted, including Makoto. Kawakami was lucky he didn't end up staying with us. I'd have made that boy mine before she got to him. Then we wouldn't be in this predicament ... And even if he didn't want to, I'd have made him fuck me anyway just to pay rent. Yeah, that'd have been his job. I bet he'd have liked that more than fixing people's coffee.") Sae's thoughts lead her to fantasies involving scenarios where she'd find herself having sex with Akira. "That interrogation room ... Cafe LaBlanc ... At their school ... Here at home, on Makoto's bed ... Fuck!"

Sae couldn't take it anymore and jumped out of bed to get her favorite red vibrator. When she grabbed the doll it was hidden inside of, she violently yanked it out, causing the doll to rip. Not caring about that for the time being she tossed it on the floor and immediately shoved the toy inside her while she stood. Her pace was fast from the start due to her spontaneously intense arousal within the last few minutes. Awkwardly, she walked over to the foot of her bed with the toy wedged inside her and propped a leg over the edge. She worked herself furiously while arching her head back and closing her eyes. The orgasm came quick and hard just as she wanted it to. Feeling satisfied, she put the toy back in its hiding place and went back to bed. Still not tired enough to sleep, her thoughts about Akira went back to being logically oriented again. Now that she could think more clearly, she thought of ways to track him down.

"There's got to be some way I can contact that boy." She said aloud, then an abstract idea came to her mind. Rather than trying to contact him herself, she could try talking to someone else who could do it for her. Someone very uncanny who wouldn't need to track him down by conventional means. "Lavenza.. If there's anyone who knows about Persona users and where to find them, it's her." Sae uttered the girl's name, remembering the Velvet Room. Every time she found herself there, it was because they summoned her. She couldn't go there on her own, just as one couldn't control what their mind dreams about at night. ("Damnit. What am I supposed to do, fall asleep and hope they're reading my mind? Not when I told them to stay out of my life. Nice going, Sae, you may have burned the most important bridge you ever had.") She thought and reprimanded herself, believing hope really was the only thing she could do.

"Wait, that's right..! I forgot all about that..!" She yelled in a whisper when she suddenly remembered a certain side effect of Takemi's Cheshire Cat drug. Sae got back out of bed and reached for her purse. She took out the familiar blue bottle Takemi gave her on the night they raped that little girl together. Opening it, she smelled the contents first before sipping. ("Smells like.. blood?") She thought and winced. "I really hope that's not some secret ingredient of yours, Takemi. Please tell me you aren't that sick." Sae spoke to Takemi as if she were there to hear her. She never thought she'd be using the drug on herself but she was glad she saved it. Had she used it on someone else again, she knew she could just got another sample from Takemi. But there was no telling what the perverted woman might have wanted from her in exchange. "Well, here goes nothing.." She drank it all in one gulp. Because it was diluted, it took only a moment for her to become unbearably drowsy and pass out on her bed.

[11/05 Midnight: Niijima Residence]  
[~ The Poem of Everyone's Souls ~]

"It's been a while. How did you get here on your own?" Sae heard the feint voice before opening her eyes. Before her stood Lavenza, with Igor in the distance behind her. Sae gathered her bearings and took in the environment. She knew it was the Velvet Room but it was different from before. No longer did it resemble her father's room with a giant bed and pictures on the wall. In fact, there were no walls at all this time when she noticed what they were standing on. It was a precipice with a vast blue ocean below them.

"It.. worked..?" She asked, both to herself and Lavenza, who nodded.

"Indeed. How did you do it?" She asked again. Sae paused for a second with a feeling of shame before she answered.

"I took the drug ... The one that sends people here. Listen, I know I told you guys to stay out of my life but I need your help. Please!" Sae prostrated herself on the ground to apologize for the way she'd treated them and acted before.

"It's okay, Sae. Get up and tell us what's wrong." Lavenza consoled her. She did so and explained everything to her about Alice, Mariana's Web, the Persona users and how they planned to make an assault on Alice.

"That's why I need you to help me find Akira. We think he might be the only one who can challenge her." Sae said after pleading her case. Lavenza turned around to look at Igor, who stood several feet away. She spoke softly as if he were right there in front of them.

"Master, this is unprecedented. Can we do that?"

After a moment of silence, Igor spoke and his voice filled the air as if he were all around them. "Our laws state that we are not to interfere in the affairs of mortals ... But I believe we can make an exception in this case due to how it has disrupted the balance. By sending so many uninvited guests to our domain, they've rightfully incurred our wraith. We'll make contact with Akira for you and be in touch."

Lavenza nodded at his response and turned back around to face Sae again. "And if he can't help you, then I will." She added with a wink. Sae wondered what the girl meant by that and how she would help her. "You'll help us fight Alice?" She asked Lavenza, then suddenly woke up before she was given an answer.

[11/05 Morning: Niijima Residence]  
[~ RUN, RUN, RUN! ~]

The effects of the drug wore off and Sae awoke to the sound of her phone chiming with a text message from Takemi. ["I got the results from your blood test, you might want to come in for this."] It took Sae a moment to remember when she had a blood test done. Then she recalled Takemi asking her for a blood sample when she was there a few days ago. It took her another moment to remember 'why' Takemi wanted a blood sample.

"Oh God, she really did poison me with something..?!" Sae sat up and said in a panic, referring to Alice at the Halloween party. She jumped out of bed, got dressed and rushed over to Takemi's clinic in fear of her life.

[11/05 Morning: Yongen-Jaya, Takemi Medical Clinic]  
[~ Last Surprise ~]

Sae burst into Takemi's clinic like a bat out of hell. Going straight through the lobby to the door of her examination room and opening it without knocking. It surprised the Takemi, who fortunately didn't have any patients at the time. "Give it to me straight, Doc! What is it?" Sae said to her while still standing in the doorway. Takemi sat wide eyed from the shock when she responded.

"I can't tell you that yet, it's too soon."

Sae walked in and closed the door behind her. She took a seat and gave Takemi the death stare. "What do you mean you can't tell me?? You said you had the results. So what did they put in me?!"

"A baby." Takemi said curtly.

"What?!" Sae yelled, confused.

"Yeah, I can't tell you if it's a boy or a girl yet." Takemi's tone was nonchalant as if she were telling Sae all she had  
was a cold.

"Are you messing with me right now??" Sae's face contorted with annoyance.

"Nope, you're really pregnant, congratulations." Takemi continued her trolling behavior by casually looking at her clipboard after delivering the news.

"What the fuck?!"

"I didn't know if you knew already so I called you in rather than breaking the news through a text message." Takemi explained, then turned around in her chair to look at her monitor. While Sae sat dumbfounded for a while without saying another word, Takemi spoke to her from over her shoulder. "So, do you know who the father is?" She asked inoffensively. There were two possible candidates and Sae thought back on when her last menstrual cycle was. After doing the math, she sighed and facepalmed.

"Yeah.. I know who."


	4. Chapter 4

[11/10 Daytime: Shibuya, Untouchable]  
[~ Layer Cake ~]

"Pregnant? And you're telling me this because..?" Iwai trailed off incredulously.

"Don't play dumb. You know why..." Sae held a hand over her abdomen while looking away from him to avoid eye contact. She felt moderately ashamed and completely responsible for her present situation that she was ostensibly dragging Iwai into. They weren't officially dating and their relationship was tentative at best. Even calling him a friend with benefits felt awkward to her, given their unique societal polarity.

"If you're trying to say it's mine then we need to talk, formally. And my shop isn't the best place for that kind of thing. Where do you want to go?" Iwai stood up as though he was prepared to close the store early for her sake.

"...Can we go to your place?" She hesitated to say it, but Sae had to know what kind of man Iwai really was and how he lived. The future father of her child could in no way be living like a savage.

"No can do. My son is there and I don't want him to find out about this just yet."

"You have a kid?!" Her shock came with a complimentary sense of relief. Knowing he already had experience with being a parent was more reassurance than Sae could have hoped for. "How old is he?"

"He's a teenager. I adopted him when he was a baby. I've never brought home any women for him to meet and if I did so now, only to show that she's already pregnant, it wouldn't look good. Know what I mean?"

"Y-Yeah... I have a younger sister I've been taking care of by myself, so I can relate. You probably already know her though, through Akira. Do you remember a girl named Makoto he used to hang out with?" Sae already told Makoto about her relationship with Iwai, though she did so using a few white lies. Her sister tangentially worked with him as a Phantom Thief but she wasn't sure how much attention Iwai actually paid to her in general.

"Hmm.. Oh yeah! She was the one with the great ass, right? Damn, I never knew you two were related. Can't believe I didn't connect the dots sooner. I -knew- there was someone you reminded me of when we first met! I just couldn't place who." Iwai reminisced a bit with a cheeky smirk on his face that annoyed Sae.

"The only thing you remember about her is her ass, huh?" Her eye twitched involuntarily at his unexpected answer. The last thing Sae wanted was her potential boyfriend checking out her little sister. Resentment was a constant battle she fought within herself over Makoto and part of it stemmed from the fact that she viewed her as competition, on top of being a burden.

"Well yeah. I mean no.. It's not the 'only' thing I remember about her. Don't take it the wrong way, but what man wouldn't notice a nice ass leaving his place of business? You both had the same effect on me so.." Iwai rubbed the back of his neck as he always did when he couldn't find the right words. He was now the one avoiding eye contact but Sae let it slide.

"That's actually good to know. As long as you don't go getting any funny ideas about sticking your gun in her holster, I won't hold it against you." She made a joke to get the point across but Iwai took her seriously.

"Nah, I ain't into kids. She might have a nice body, just like you, but your sister's too young for me."

"Also good to know, let's go to my place then." Sae proposed and they left together once Iwai closed up shop.

[11/10 Evening: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Have a Short Rest ~]

"Nice place. So you live here alone with your sis?" Iwai complimented Sae's apartment as he glanced around the living room, impressed at how neat and tidy everything was.

"Yeah, she'll probably be home soon. I already told her about us and she thinks it happened like something out of a fairy tale. That said, follow my lead and play along."

"Does she know you're pregnant?" He sat down on the couch and gestured for her to sit next to him. When she did, he wrapped an arm around her.

"Not yet." Sae looked over her shoulder at the entrance of her home behind them. She was hoping Makoto wasn't about to walk through the door any time soon.

"Now might be as good a time as any, since I'm here too. It goes without saying, if we get married her family's going to double in size overnight." Iwai casually dropped the bombshell idea of marriage on her and Sae was taken aback. Their relationship didn't even have a label yet.

"Whoa! Slow down there, cowboy. I never said you had to marry me. All I wanted was to let you know I'm pregnant and-" He stole a kiss from her before she could finish talking. Sae felt her strength fading as he pushed her down into the couch. When he broke away to start moving down her neck, she mumbled at him. "...we can't do it here. My room's down the hall..." Before either could say another word, Makoto barged in yelling.

"Sis! Where are you? I got a message from Akira!" She couldn't see them over the couch since they were laying on it horizontally. When Iwai came up first, it startled her and she took a step back. "W-What are you doing here??" Without speaking, he looked down at Sae, who's face was flushed red with passion that turned into embarrassment. "Oh.." Makoto said when she realized what was going on after Sae sat up to look at her next.

"A message? About what?" Ignoring the elephant in the room known as Iwai, Sae meandered around him to the matter of greater importance. For Akira to finally make contact with someone out of the blue was pretty significant. Especially when it came at a time they needed him most.

"He said he'll be coming back to Tokyo soon and wants to see everyone again. Including you." Makoto refrained from mentioning anything else in the presence of their guest but Sae knew his return had to be related to the case. "So, uh.." Her attention turned to Iwai now, who'd been awkwardly silent.

"I see ... Oh, don't mind this guy. He was just leaving." Sae didn't bother explaining what Iwai was doing there and she was too distracted to realize she was treating him like a nobody.

"Oookay then.. I'll see myself out. Tell Akira I said wassup." Iwai sensed the two sisters had something important to discuss and 'his' news could wait another day. He courteously bowed to Makoto, who bowed back and left. Once he was gone, Sae regained her composure while Makoto took a seat across from her.

"All he did was text you? He didn't call?" She wondered why Akira would use such an unceremonious form of communication when he had to know Makoto would want to hear his voice again after so long.

"Y-Yeah, I think Kawakami might have had something to do with that." Her face gave no indication she was bothered by it and that she was just glad to know she was going to see him again soon. Sae also wondered on the other hand if Akira had considered contacting her personally, rather than one of his peers. She did give him a business card with her phone number on it the last time they saw each other.

"(I guess it never crossed his mind after all..)" She thought Akira might have had some interest in her and would at least try to hit her up, given any excuse to do so, but if he didn't do it now, he probably never would. "Did he say anything else besides he was coming to town? Such as giving a reason why? I could tell you were omitting certain details because of Iwai being here."

"Not really. Other than the fact that of course his new wife would be tagging along. I don't know if he ever told Iwai about Kawakami but I do know the reason he eloped with her was so they could keep a low profile. Not many people outside our circle know he was dating a teacher." Makoto's lips pursed petulantly in mild annoyance at the inseparable couple. Whether or not she would try anything on her old fling without his wife around was uncertain.

"Right. Well, his timing can't just be a coincidence. This has to have something to do with the case." Sae hypothesized and saw a reflection of her own intuition in Makoto. Her sister lacked the same spiritual insight she got the Velvet Room, but she shared her thought process.

"Those were my thoughts exactly. But how would he know? It's top secret and no one had a means to contact him for help. That guy must be psychic." Makoto exaggerated.

"I'm sure a little bird found a way to tell him somehow." Sae was definitely not about to try to explain how they had a third party on their side. But she was fairly certain Igor and Lavenza brought Akira to the Velvet Room and pulled some strings.

[11/11 Midnight: Niijima Residence]  
[~ The Poem of Everyone's Souls ~]

That night she had a lucid dream about Akira. He was standing between her and Alice, the seemingly innocuous young woman. Alice kept reaching out for Sae in a desperate manner but Akira held her back. "Are you trying to protect me?" Her question made him turn his head towards her, to which he gave a questionable look of pity. Upon closer inspection, she could see that Alice was crying. Her mouth was moving, but no words were coming out. No words she could perceive anyway. The dream was too hazy and she needed to get closer. As she approached, the audible sounds of a girl's muffled speech could be heard. Though it remained indiscernible even when she was within arms reach of them. "What are you saying? Can you understand her?" She asked Alice, then Akira. His only response was shaking his head 'no' sympathetically. "Why do you look so sad? You don't know her, much less what she's done. Especially to me."

His stance shifted when she tried to separate them so she could grab Alice. He went from blocking her with his arms to embracing her in a hug. "What the hell?! Get away from her! She's a toxic bitch! Don't let her looks fool you, damnit." When Akira didn't heed her warning she began to feel angry and frustrated. It was as if he wouldn't believe her then no one would, which could make bringing her to justice difficult. Suddenly, Alice disappeared, causing Akira to glare at Sae suspiciously. "Don't blame me, she just does that sort of thing." She wasn't sure why, but his judgmental eyes forced a feeling of unwarranted guilt upon her. "If you've got something to say, then say it." As she expected, he said nothing. "Figures. Goddamn silent protagonists, I don't have time for this. Wake me up already." Her dream was lucid enough that she was able to wake herself up by thinking it. The paradoxical nature of time being something one could waste in a dream blew her mind like a logic bomb going off in a line of code.

[11/11 Morning: Niijima Residence]  
[~ Beneath the Mask ~]

"(Shit... What was that all about? It didn't make any sense.)" Sae wondered as she sat up in her bed. She liked to believe most dreams had meaning but the idea of Akira protecting Alice from her was just too fallacious. "(Why would he ever choose her over me? There's just no way. I'M the one who got him out of prison. He has no reason to trust her and EVERY reason to trust me.)" Shaking it out of her head, she went about her day by starting with the usual morning routine. When she met eyes with Makoto at breakfast, she couldn't help but think of Akira again. "Did he say exactly when he'll be arriving? Like on what day?"

Makoto took a second to process her question due to Sae not using his name. "You mean Akira? Should be in the next few days, why? Do you want to set up a formal meeting with him?"

"Y-Yeah.. I'm assuming he'll be staying at Leblanc again? We can do it there. Pretty sure that's where everybody's going to gather up at anyway." She knew she'd have to talk to Akira in private but time with his friends came first.

"How are you going to approach him.. or rather THEM about the case? Will you try to recruit the whole Phantom Thief crew?" Makoto was prepared to text all of them when she held up her phone. Sae responded by placing a hand over hers and gently pushing it down so that she would put her phone away.

"That's too risky. Alice has global surveillance technology at her finger tips, so if you guys start texting each other about the case she's going to see it. We need to have at least some element of surprise and I can't allow anyone like say.. Ryuji, blowing our cover." Sae didn't know every member of the Phantom Thieves that well but she took a wild guess as to who would most likely be their incidental whistle blower.

"You're right. Besides, from what you told me about Alice's power, I don't think there's much any of us can do against her. Akira's our only chance in a physical battle. Well, metaphysical. Plus, they're probably better off not knowing about this case.. It's too.. gross.."

"Why? Because it deals with pedophiles? You guys dealt Kamoshida, so how would this be any different?" Sae was a bit annoyed at Makoto's insinuation. She herself had reveled in the company of the predators they sought to catch and felt insulted at indirectly being called gross. But she was self-aware enough to know she had no right to argue when she was playing both sides. "(If only she knew the duality of man, we could make the perfect team.)" Thinking back on the time she tried to seduce Makoto into sexual deviancy with her, Sae lamented her sister's unshakable self-righteous attitude. "(Maybe she'll grow out of it one day, like I did.)"

"I wasn't part of the Phantom Thieves when they took down Kamoshida. And I'd say there's no comparison between what he did and what Wonderland does. The latter is by far the greater evil. I think Ann in particular would probably go berserk on these guys."

"Well, we definitely don't want anyone doing that. We need people with cool heads, something we both know Akira has. I just hope he doesn't get sucked in." A lingering thought in the back of her mind surfaced when Sae unintentionally said something to pique Makoto's curiosity.

"Get sucked in how?" She asked with some concern.

"Oh ... Uh, you know. A guy who's okay with fucking his teacher, then marrying her might have certain inclinations towards pedophilia. Technically, you could say Kawakami's a pedo, so there's that. He might find Wonderland more interesting than revolting due to the possibility of other women like his wife being part of it." It wasn't exactly what she was thinking, but Sae improvised a scenario for Makoto to digest. She was taken aback when her sister reacted defensively.

"That's ridiculous!! He would never!! And their relationship was completely mutual from what he told me. They came together through an extraordinary twist of fate. Not because she was prowling on him or anything." She resented the idea of her ex-boyfriend, who she still had feelings for, being taken away from her by anything less than a noble woman.

"Then for all our sakes, let's hope you're right." Sae let Makoto say her peace and made a mental note to not touch on the sore subject in front of her again. She had her reasons to think highly of Akira as her former leader. But as far as Kawakami was concerned, Sae saw no reason to give her the benefit of the doubt. Any teacher who pussywhipped her own student the way she did was no saint.

[11/11 Afternoon: Yongen-Jaya, Takemi Medical Clinic]  
[~ Butterfly Kiss ~]

Sae began making her preparations for their meeting with Akira by visiting Takemi's clinic. She let her know about his return to Tokyo and that he might pay her a visit. "If he comes by here don't say anything about me or the case. He's likely going to be helping us with it and may come to you for aid like before."

"You think I don't know that? Of course I'm not going to mention you. Even though there are plenty of reasons we could already know each other. A mutual acquaintance entering the picture won't make it hard for us to keep our story straight. But how is he going to help with the case? Is there something you're not telling me?" Takemi's stance went from being dismissive to suspicious while she slowly put down her clipboard.

Sae responded by lowering her head into her hand and massaging her temples with a sigh. "...There's a lot I'm not telling you. But only because I can't even begin to explain it all. Are you aware of your drug's side effects? If not, you should try taking it yourself just to see what happens."

"What are you talking about? Did YOU take it?! You know that's not how you're supposed to use it.." Takemi was flabbergasted and had to stifle a laugh. "Anyway, why would I take it myself? And furthermore, why would you?"

"Like I said, I can't begin to explain it. It's something you'll have to see for yourself." Sae stopped rubbing her head and looked Takemi straight in the eyes to show she was serious.

"Alright, I'll take your word for it and consider it. I've never taken Cheshire Cat myself for a reason though." She regained her usual dismissive composure and turned around to face her monitor.

"And that is?" Sae was now the suspicious one as she narrowed her eyes at Takemi's back.

"We're all entitled to our secrets. Are we not?" She glared over her shoulder at Sae to give her a smug smirk.

"Tsk! Fine, whatever. I've done what I came here for, so I'll be going now." When she got up to leave, Takemi swirled around in her chair to face Sae again.

"Hey now, hold on. I can't have you leaving here with that attitude." She got up out of her seat and approached Sae before she could open the door. Grabbing both of her hands, she braced Sae against the wall and started kissing her around the neck.

"Wha-.. No.. Stop, I don't have time for this." She managed to say before Takemi made her way to her mouth. She silenced her by arresting Sae's tongue with her own. She closed her eyes as they rolled into the back of her head from the passionate kiss. Once again, her strength was leaving her and she relented. She couldn't resist anymore and began relaxing her arms to let Takemi have her way.

"That's my girl.." Takemi said with bated breath once she finally broke the kiss. She let go of her arms and wrapped one hand around Sae's back while the other combed through her hair. "Still don't have time for me?"

"You know that's not how I meant it.." She knew Takemi was trying to tease her now and deliberately used the word 'me' rather than 'this' to make it more personal than another random sexual encounter. "I've got other things to do today and if we start something here there's no telling when we'll finish it."

"I see.." Moderately disappointed, Takemi let her go and backed away. "Before you go though, at least let me examine you."

"Examine me how?" Sae asked, arching an eyebrow at Takemi while she opened one of the drawers at her desk. When Sae realized what she was pulling out, her jaw dropped and her eyes went wide in mock disgust. "Oh, you have GOT to be kidding me!"

"It's my job as a doctor and your friend to make sure there are no irregularities so you can safely deliver a healthy baby." Takemi's tone was a combination of sarcasm and cheeky humor. She waved the vaginal speculum around like a toy rather than a medical instrument.

"Don't be absurd. I'm not THAT pregnant yet and you're no gynecologist!" Sae cowed backwards as if she was about to be assaulted. She couldn't tell how serious Takemi was but the mere sight of a doctor wielding that kind of tool made her feel vulnerable. Despite the doctor being another woman who she'd already been intimate with before. It was a bitter reminder that she would eventually have to find herself an obstetrician. Since Takemi wasn't qualified to carry her through her pregnancy.

"You're right, I'm just your friendly neighborhood pharmacist who's always wanted to use one of these. I bought it just for you after finding out you were pregnant. Come on, let me have a little fun. It won't take long." She said innocently.

"No way, you pervert! Use it on yourself if you're that horny."

Takemi feigned a pouty face to exaggerate her feelings being hurt by the rejection. "So mean.. You sure you're not that pregnant yet? Because you seem kind of moody today."

"Maybe I am a little moody. I mean it's not like I've had my world turned upside down and inside out multiple times lately. Having this case dropped on me. That leading me to you. You leading me to doing things I thought I'd never do. Those things leading me to Alice. You and Alice putting the fear of DEATH in me when I thought I was going to die from being poisoned. Only to find out no, I'm just pregnant, because that's not going to fuck everything else up for me pretty soon. Which is why my main focus right now is dealing with Alice before it's too late." Sae ran out of breath on her rant and needed a moment to catch it. She had plans to make, loose ends to tie and people to coordinate without getting them all tangled up in a knot around her neck. "...So yeah, I'm sorry I can't 'play' with you today. I'm meeting up with Mitsuru as soon as I leave here to discuss a few things related to the case. That's all I'll say for now."

"...Okay then. Say hello to her for me." Takemi put away the speculum and grabbed her clipboard to resume conducting business as usual. Sae took that as her queue to finally leave and left the office.

[11/11 Evening: Inokashira Park]  
[~ Restlessness ~]

"Thanks for meeting me out here on such short notice." Sae greeted Mitsuru and they took a seat on a nearby bench under the shade of a tree. She'd contacted her earlier in the day to request they talk in person somewhere void of cameras and cellphones. Alice's ability to spy through technology was only matched by Mitsuru's ability to travel anywhere in the world via private transportation at a moments notice. All she had to do was find the time in her busy schedule, which she had no problem doing for Sae.

"Don't mention it. This must be something important, I presume." Mitsuru took a deep breath and looked around to make sure no one was in earshot.

"Yes. It's about what I think may be our trump card against Alice. There's a guy coming to town soon who I would like to introduce you to. He's unique, and I'm not sure if he knows about the case yet, so I'm going to have to explain it to him and why we need his help. That's where you'll come in. You're the expert on Persona powers and you built the technology Alice utilizes to abuse them." Sae paused to let Mitsuru gather where she was taking the conversation.

"You found another Persona user? What makes him any different from us?"

"Funny you should say 'found', because he was literally lost to us for a while. However, he got back in touch recently and the timing couldn't be more perfect. You see, your friend Akihiko and I, along with Naoto and my sister Makoto came up with the idea of someone who has multiple Personas challenging Alice at her own game." Sae went on to explain the details of all the events that lead up to an impromptu meeting at her home with the Akihiko, the SIU mole in Mitsuru's company, and Naoto, Sae's colleague at the SIU. Mitsuru took the information in stride, showing no surprise at Akihiko's corporate espionage. She'd always suspected he was operating covertly with another entity, but she let it slide. Her trust in him believed that whatever he did was done so with her best interests in mind.

"Tell me his name again?" Mitsuru was lost in thought while she considered the idea.

"Akira Kurusu, also known as Joker. He was the leader of the Phantom Thieves and he's currently the only known user with multiple Personas, according to our intel. Your guy sacrificed himself and Naoto's guy lost that power, but ours still has it as far as we know."

"This could work. There's no way to calculate the odds, but if he can break Alice apart from Mariana's Web, it's worth a shot. We can't send him in without letting him know the risks though. If he fails, it's possible he'll suffer a mental shutdown."

"If I know Akira, that won't deter him at all, he's a brave kid. His wife on the other hand, may be a little overbearing and protective. She's the one I think we'll have to convince."

"...Wife?" Mitsuru turned her head to look at Sae with an arched eyebrow.

[11/11 - 11/14] 

[11/15 Morning: Yongen-Jaya, Cafe Lablanc]  
[~ New Beginning ~]

The day finally came when Akira made his return to jubilant fanfare at Lablanc. Makoto and all of their friends were there waiting for him while Sae met up with Mitsuru first. They arrived at the cafe together to find their prospective hero surrounded by teenagers at the bar. Meanwhile, a matronal looking woman leaned against the wall at the other end of the room by the stairs. She smiled faintly as she watched them chat up a storm and laugh together. In her arms, she cradled a tiny baby wrapped in a yellow blanket with stripes that matched her shirt. She was the picturesque example of motherhood and Sae subconsciously placed a hand over her own womb. She'd never personally met Kawakami before but she knew right away the woman was her. For a moment, Sae forgot all about the case and wanted to walk straight passed Akira and the group to greet his wife. She wanted to see the baby up close and hold it. To talk with Kawakami about early motherhood and learn from her experience. All the preconceived notions she had about Kawakami were dispersing and underneath them, Sae saw a new friend she desperately needed reveal itself.

"What's wrong? You look like you're in a daze. Hello?" Mitsuru snapped her fingers in front of Sae's face.

"Huh?! Oh, right. Sorry, I just..." Sae gave a quick glance at Mitsuru then turned her head back to Kawakami and the baby as she trailed off. She couldn't take her eyes off of them, which Kawakami noticed and flashed her a bright, friendly smile. Sae warmly returned the smile then turned her attention to Akira and the group. No one in the room knew she was pregnant yet and she preferred to keep it that way, since she hadn't broke the news to Makoto yet. However, she had to talk to Kawakami in private at some point before they left town again.

"Sis! You made it!" Makoto yelled. She was the first to notice Sae and Mitsuru standing at the entrance, followed by the others in unison. Futaba was the only person who recognized Mitsuru since they'd been working together recently.

"Mitsuru-chan!! Hey! Did you come here to see Mr. Popular too?" Futaba hopped out of her seat and ran up to greet her new mentor.

"Hi, Futaba. Yes, in fact I did. But we'll save that for later. There's apparently some introductions in order and festivities to partake in before we start conducting business." Mitsuru smiled at Futaba and patted her gently on the head. Somewhere down the line, the two came to adore each other like long lost sisters. As Mitsuru said, the morning was spent introducing new acquaintances and exchanging pleasantries within the group. The conversations shifted from one topic to another, but the four women in the know avoided mentioning anything about the case. Most topics revolved around Akira and it wasn't until Ryuji caused an awkward silence in the crowd when he accidentally let slip a little secret.

"I mean can you believe this guy? He hooks up with a teacher and then vanishes without a trace. Comes back less than a year later a married man with a kid. I don't know if I should be jealous of you or proud. You're growing up WAY faster than me, bro!" Ryuji said wistfully and wrapped his arm around Akira's shoulder tight. When he realized everyone had stopped talking and was staring at him, his face said it all. He knew that meant he must have said something he wasn't supposed to again. "What?"

"Wait, you were his teacher? Sae never told me that part." Mitsuru asked Kawakami, who turned her head down towards the floor shamefully. "I'm not judging. It actually makes a lot more sense now."

Her remark made Kawakami look back up at her with furrowed eyebrows. "What does?"

"Hmm.." Mitsuru hummed. She and Sae looked at each other, acknowledging that it was probably time they told her and Akira why they both came to see him. Yet they couldn't do so in front of all his friends.

"Sorry, everyone. But can we borrow Akira for a moment? Mitsuru and I need to talk to him and Ms. Kawakami in private upstairs." Sae requested. They all agreed to it, though none were able to hide their suspicions. By the look on Akira's face, it was obvious he saw this coming when he got up from his seat to go upstairs. Kawakami followed suit with their baby boy in tow asleep on her back. The others made way for Sae and Mitsuru to go up behind them. Haru in particular looked annoyed as she ostensibly made sure she stood next to Ryuji. Behind her, Sae could hear Haru slapping him on the back of the head and reprimanding Ryuji in a low voice.

"See what you did..?!"

"Ow! Sorry, babe, I didn't know..!"


	5. Chapter 5

[11/15 Afternoon: Yongen-Jaya, Cafe Lablanc]  
[~ Interrogation Room ~]

"I suppose we should get straight to the point. Assuming you know why we're here." Sae said to Akira once they were upstairs. They stood around in a circle at the center of his old bedroom. She and Mitsuru kept their eyes on him while Akira looked towards his wife. Kawakami shrugged innocently to indicate she had no part in it, or at least not yet.

"Yes." He spoke before turning his attention to Sae in particular. He stared her directly in the eyes. Both knew they wouldn't be meeting like this if not for their mutual acquaintances in the Velvet Room. A minor detail they couldn't begin to share with the others. "But why is the leader of the Kirijo Group with you?" Akira's familiarity with Mitsuru came from her wealth and fame. He'd yet to find out about her deep history with Persona users. All he knew was that she was the face of a company that had many shady reputations he'd caught wind of over the years. Thus he made no effort to hide his suspicions her presence gave him under the current circumstances.

"I will gladly explain that, but first, let me say it's an honor to finally meet you, Joker." Mitsuru used his Phantom Thief name she learned from Futaba before elaborating on the existence of other Persona users, which included herself. She, along with Sae, brought Akira up to speed on all the events that had transpired up to this point. Meanwhile, Sae kept an eye on Kawakami to see how she was reacting to the subject of Personas.

"You don't seem too surprised by all this. Don't tell me you're a user too?"

Kawakami sighed and massaged her temples. "No, of course not. You could say I'm relatively familiar with all this nonsense though. 'Joker' boy here never stopped talking to me about his Phantom Thief endeavors. You know, since he had no one else he could talk to about it where we live."

Sae let her curiosity change the subject when Kawakami reminded her of something she'd been wondering for months. "Speaking of which, where did you guys go anyway? You went completely off the grid." The couple looked at each other for approval before answering. They figured now was a good a time as any to reveal their secret hideout.

"We moved to Inaba." Akira said first, followed by Kawakami, who took most of the responsibility for their eloping.

"I have a work-stay job at the Amagi Inn. It was our last resort when we found out I was pregnant... Either we stayed here and faced a scandal, or start a new life somewhere else with a low profile. No one there knows we were teacher and student. They just look at us and see an older woman with a younger man."

"I'm guessing you do maid work there?" Sae asked. Sensing her tongue in cheek humor, Kawakami stuttered a bit with her response. If anyone outside of Akira's inner circle was keenly aware of how she became intimate with her student in the first place, it would be Sae.

"Y-Yeah.. He looks after the baby while I work. I do housekeeping, cooking, cleaning, greeting guests, etc. My manager is really nice and she doesn't mind me dropping by 'our' room occasionally to check on them, so it's a pretty cozy job."

"You mean Yukiko? Yeah, she is great. I've worked with her before as well. She's also a Persona user." Mitsuru said fondly.

"WHAT?! She is?!" Akira shouted incredulously. "Man, I wish I would have known that. Then I wouldn't have had to keep talking my wife's ear off about things she couldn't possibly understand." His statement made Kawakami frown at him and pinch his arm. "Ow! What'd you do that for?!"

"Because I don't like the idea of you bonding with another woman like that. Much less my own boss." The other two women in the room smiled at Kawakami because they understood where she was coming. Akira, however, remained clueless.

"Bonding?! Come on, babe. You know it's not like that."

"(So she's the jealous type? Interesting.)" Sae thought about how that knowledge could prove useful if she needed to break the ice later. There was still the matter of motherhood at hand, but her personal business with Kawakami would have to wait. They were steering too far off course already and she had to focus on Akira for now. "Anyway, we need to talk about Alice and how you're going to help us with her, Akira." She gave the floor to Mitsuru, their expert on all accounts regarding the case.

"As I've said, Alice has the power to summon a user's own Persona and turn it against them. Meaning normal users like us, who only have one, stand no chance, even in numbers. That's where you come in. You're the only known individual who still has multiple Personas. Our theory is that she would have a hard time with someone like you. There's no guarantee she will, but you're our only real option. I know we're asking a lot, but that's because there's a lot at stake. If we don't severe her connection to Mariana's Web and her lab, she will for all intents and purposes, have us all by the balls. She literally has the entire internet and everyone's personal data in the palm of her hands. I've already discussed a strategical approach with Futaba and we came up with a plan. We'll use Sae as bait from the remote location while you jack in from Alice's lab and attack once she takes it. That's assuming Alice doesn't detect you as a threat." Mitsuru and Sae intentionally refrained from mentioning the Wonderland aspect of the case to Akira, especially around Kawakami. It wasn't easy to do since it meant they had to make up a story full of white lies for it all to make sense.

"That's it? Doesn't sound like much of a plan to me. I have no idea what I'm going up against because she doesn't sound like anyone or anything I've ever fought before in the Metaverse. What happens if having multiple Personas makes no difference? Let's say she defeats me, then what? Am I going to die? Or is it like a video game in your PSVR Shadownet thing where I'll just have to restart? I need to know what kind of danger I'm facing. Since unlike before, I have a wife and kid to worry about now. I can't afford to be the self-sacrificing hero I used to be." Akira turned his head toward Kawakami and their son, concerned. She gave him a worried, but reassuring smile to boost his confidence.

"Our belief is that in the worst case scenario... Defeat means suffering a mental shutdown." Mitsuru answered somberly and the room went deafeningly silent for a moment. "The good news though is that Futaba will be able to pull you out at any time. The only problem is that because there's no visual interface of what goes on in there, we can't tell if you're in trouble. Unless your body starts showing physical signs of distress, like sweating and twitching. That's how we knew when to pull Sae out. Right now, we're working on a way to make it safer. Once we install a mechanism that can handle all the information the PSVR transmits to and from the brain, we should be able to see what the person wearing it does. How long it will take us to develop such a technology though is uncertain. So I guess it's up to you, Akira. Either we can go in blind without a safety net, or we can wait."

"I.. I need time to think." His head hung down at the floor and he stuck his hands in his pockets. Akira may have developed a stronger sense of caution once he became a father, but his posture stayed the same.

"That's fine. Sleep on it. Maybe hang out with your friends for a while to ease your mind. Just don't tell them about the case. The only ones who know are Futaba and Sae's younger sister. We don't want the others getting involved and complicating things. Alice has mass surveillance on everyone's phones and if someone, like say that Ryuji fellow, lets slip what we're up to, she'll see what's coming."

"Understood.."

"Alright, seems we're done here for today. Ready to go?" Sae asked Mitsuru. She nodded in response and the two went back downstairs.

[11/15 Daytime: Yongen-Jaya, Cafe Lablanc]  
[~ Days of Sisters ~]

Everyone except for Futaba and Makoto had left while they were upstairs talking. Sojiro stood behind the counter, serving coffee as usual. He spared a glance at Sae and Mitsuru, then, feeling somewhat sympathetic gave a few words. "They'll be staying the night here. The three upstairs, I mean. Just letting you know in case he forgot to tell you."

"Is it that obvious our business with him isn't finished yet?" Sae asked.

"To me it is." Sojiro could easily read their moods, since he had an uncanny talent of understanding women. "Plus with that kid of theirs, he's undoubtedly got a lot on his plate. Too much to handle so many things at once."

"Dad, why don't you close the shop a little early today so they can have the place to themselves?" Futaba suggested. "I'm sure the baby would like that, call it Hermit's intuition."

"I suppose you're right." Sojiro obliged and turned off the TV. When he went upstairs to let Akira know, the rest took that as their queue to leave. Once they went their separate ways, Makoto used the opportunity to talk to Sae about Akira on their way home.

"So what did he have to say about Wonderland? Was he shocked? Or..." She trailed off, not wanting to address the suspicions her sister brought up before about Akira showing interest in them.

"We didn't mention that part. All he knows right now is that there's someone named Alice who we need his power to deal with."

"W-Why would you leave such an important detail out? And how?? Didn't you brief him in on the case?"

"Let's just say Mitsuru and I thought it was best not to talk about a secret pedophile ring in front of Kawakami. We'll only get to that aspect of the case if absolutely necessary. For now, it's going to be up to him when we make our move."

"...Oh my God, seriously? You're honestly worried about Ms. Kawakami being into that sort of thing? There's no way. I think you're overreacting, Sis." Makoto sighed in disappointment. She was morbidly curious about how Akira, her ex-boyfriend, would react to pedophiliac fetishism. However thanks to Sae's prejudices toward his wife, she realized she may never find out.

[11/15 Evening: Yongen-Jaya, Cafe Lablanc]  
[~ Confession/Secret ~]

After everyone left Lablanc, Kawakami tried to calm a restless Akira. "Want a special massage? I haven't given you one of those in a while. Especially on this bed." Their son slept in the corner against the wall while the two of them sat on the edge.

"No, we'll wake up Ren. And speaking of this bed, isn't it a little small for the three of us? I'll sleep on the couch." He started to get up and walk over to it but Kawakami pulled him back down.

"Uh-Uh, I'm not letting you sleep on a hard couch when there's plenty of room in this nice bed. We could even fuck on here without waking him up if we wanted to. The little guy is heavy sleeper, like his mommy." She was letting her pervy side out because she knew that always worked on him. Sex was her not so secret weapon she used whenever she wanted to make Akira do anything. Presently, all she wanted was to get him to relax. "Come on, don't you wanna do it? It'll be like old times and we could take your mind off of things. Two birds, one stone."

"It's not the same, we didn't have a kid back then.."

"And? What's that supposed to mean?" Kawakami's brow furrowed. He'd never rejected her before so she wasn't sure if that's what he was doing now.

"I don't know how to explain it, but this just doesn't feel right."

Determined to get what she wanted, Kawakami got off the bed, stood in front of him and began taking off her clothes. "Yeah, well maybe that's why I'm feeling pretty turned on right now. I say it's never too soon to spice things up a little in your marriage." With her top off and thrown across the floor, she cupped one of her breasts in one hand while the other started to remove her skirt. Her assertive attitude was making him hard and Akira finally came around.

"Wait.. Leave that part on."

"My dress? Sure. If that's how you're going to fuck me." She turned around and leaned forward so he could lift it up and take her from behind. Akira did so and then shifted their positions so that she was facing the bed, and coincidentally their infant son sleeping on it. Kawakami rested her arms on the bed while Akira went to work on her. He couldn't help but notice the way she seemed to be looking at Ren the whole time. Not once did she turn her head to the side or down. She was clearly transfixed on him and Akira could tell her eyes weren't closed either. Imagining what kind of thoughts were possibly going on in his wife's head sent him on a frenzy. He rammed her as hard and fast as he could, knowing that whatever she was thinking, it had to be something immoral. "I'm.. close..!" Kawakami gasped.

"Already?!" Akira was surprised at how fast she was about to cum. She usually lasted longer than he did and he would often have to finish her off with his mouth. "Well damn, go ahead then." He made her cum once with his dick and pulled out, still hard as a rock. "...I guess you'll be the one taking care of me with your mouth this time then, right?" She looked over her shoulder at him lustfully, yet satisfied. Quickly, she made a one-eighty turn and threw her face into his crotch with so much force it knocked him off balance. Slowly, Akira began stepping backwards towards the couch, where he could sit down. Kawakami wrapped her arms around his waist while she walked with him on her knees. All she did was lick his cock and balls until they made it to the couch. Once there and she had him sitting down, she gave him the most aggressive blowjob she'd ever given anyone before. "Whoa~!" The amount of effort she put into her fellatio blew his mind. It was her way of unmistakably telling him without words that this was his reward. For what though, he didn't know. When he came, she swallowed it like a vacuum and the pleasure was so intense it made Akira pass out. Thus he ended up sleeping on the couch that night anyway.


End file.
